Today in Dogzilla's Garden... we have a mystery cat to ID and we can ooooh and aaaahhh at how my photography skills are slowly improving. I'm starting to figure out how to use this thang! First, we will try to ID my garden's mystery guest. It's been eating a firecracker plant (Russelia equisetiformis) for a few days now. I've never seen it before. Friend or foe? (first of several photos)
Here's a couple more shots in case that helps.
And another...
Ooops
This message was edited Jul 6, 2005 7:24 PM
Try again
And now, the oooing and aaaaahing: Today's black swallowtail cats. These are widdle bitty guys all zoomed up on... happily resting on the flat leaf parsley.
The other black swallowtail... Why do they always choose (I should write "chews") the smallest plant you have? The fennel is 4' high and would feed half a dozen cats, but no. These ones all have to pile on to the 6" young parsley plant...
And this little Gulf Fritillary, I swear, smiled to have its picture taken. (I had to lay on my back in the driveway to get this, then flip it in Photoshop. ;>)) )
At least there's plenty of passionflower to go around. These guys are all well fed.
Can't wait to see all the flutterbys flutter by...
Great pictures! Your "mystery cat" reminds me of a Julia, but I didn't see the red spots on the side, and they like passion vine, too. I volunteer at the Butterfly House at Hershey Gardens, and our poor passion vine is eaten down to stems by the fritillaries, Julias, and zebra longwings.
I don't think it's a Julia, because it's on the firecracker plant, which to my knowledge isn't really a good larval food plant for anything.
My futterby book isn't forthcoming with information. Does anybody have a field guide? (There's one on my wish list on Amazon, but since my birthday is in a couple weeks, I'm loathe to go buy it myself just now. Everyone knows you shouldn't go shopping for yourself shortly before some gift-giving occasion!)
I was just coming over to this forum because I found a link with some good caterpillar pics. I'll go back and see if I see this one.
http://muextension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/pests/ipm1019.htm
How about a Variegated Fritillary?? although none of my books show russelia as being a host plant. I have Dr. Minno's new book which is a must have for anyone in the southeast. Florida Butterfly Caterpillars and their Host Plants by Marc C Minno. You may need to let NABA know if there is a new host plant for a Species
I have the Minno book as well. Looks like an e-mail to NABA might be in order.
