Monarch Cats in Nashville

For years I have let the Milkweed grow in my gardens just hoping that the Monarchs would return. This year I decided that they really were NOT coming back. I cut down most of the plants in the spring. I just couldn't bring myself to cut down the last 6 or so.

Sunday was so hot and the plants were looking so ragged that I went out with the clippers to cut down the last ones. Look what I found on the underside of a leaf on the first plant. There must have been a hundred little tiny cats. The first Monarch cats in my garden in maybe 5 years.

Well this morning they are all over the plant. Not much left of it either. Now I hope that there will be enough leaves to feed them until they are ready to move on. I can move them to the other plants but only 5 more in the garden.
.

Today the cats have really grown. I need to measure them as they grow. I feel like a new Grandmother. LOL

Opps...I downloaded the wrong picture, The other one was in focus. LOL
I guess you get the idea.

Picabo I sure hate to burst your bubble but those are not Monarch cats

Oh no, What are they?

I was so happy :~((

I kept looking at the pics and didn't think they were Monarch cats either.

Hope they aren't bad ones :-((

Marilyn

This message was edited Jul 25, 2006 6:24 PM

I will let you know later when I have time to look them up. Sorry to have made you unhappy. They look like some kind of Tussock moth but will check to be sure

Marilyn... What are the "Bad Ones"????? Now I am scared? LOL

Silly Me, I saw a Monarch in the garden over the weekend, then saw all of these little creatures on the milkweed. I was just sure that was what I was seeing. Whatever they are I can supply the city. Or they can eat the city. LOL

it is a Milkweed Tussock Caterpillar

Picabo,


Sorry, I wasn't thinking. The only 'tons of cats' I've seen have been the awful tentworms and bagworms. Hope you find out soon what they are.

Marilyn

LOL, that makes sense Donna.

I'll just have to find out what the Moth looks like now.

Marilyn

here you go
http://bugguide.net/node/view/45475

That is for sure what the little things are.

Now the BIG question....Is this a creature that I don't want to have around? Should I take them to a far off stand of Milkweed or worse yet??? Or is this something that will only destroy the milkweed plants? I would really love to leave the milkweed if the real thing comes along.

I read on line a little and will read more tonight if no one knows the answer. Now I need to look at the other plants and see if there is a "real" Monarch on them. LOL

Thanks for the ID even if it was sad.

Betty

This message was edited Jul 25, 2006 8:06 PM

Donna, thanks! Never have seen the Moth and/or its cats.


Picabo, since I have a Milkweed plant too, guess I'll be seeing them too.

Marilyn

I have never seen them on mine. I only have a few milkweed plants right now so if I see them I will remove them to save it for the Monarchs.
Betty I don't know anything about them, sorry

There is a huge clump of Milkweed about 5 miles from here. I think that these cute little babies would just love to go to that patch. So much more to eat. Not just my pitiful little group of plants. LOL

good idea Betty

Donna and Picabo,

Are you getting the awful Milkweed bugs on your plants? I am.

Marilyn

not to bad so far this year but there has never been milkweed on this property before now lol

I haven't seen the bugs, but they were really looking ragged before the "cats" came along.

Donna,

How would you remove those cats, as you mentioned above? I would like to know if case I get them. I thought only Monarch cats ate from the Milkweed.

Marilyn

you can either hand pic them or take off the leaf with them on it

I may cut the entire plant off. As of this morning there is only 1 leaf left. I can't take them away until this afternoon.

Betty

Where would put those cats at? In a bag and then the trash? They don't sting if you touch them, do they?

Marilyn

I don't want to kill them. They are so ...Cute? LOL

I know where there is a big unmowed field with lots of Milkweed plants. They can take their chances there. A new adventure for them. LOL

I don't want to kill them either, but I want my Milkweed plant for the Monarchs.

Marilyn

They are not bad, I have had tussock cats and monarch cats feed off the same plants and co-exist just fine. (Though I've never had the swarm that you have.)

I collect the monarch cats just before they get ready to form a chrysalsis, so I can protect them until they hatch.

The tussocks must fend for themselves.

Maybe I'll just take Most of them for a great adventure and leave a few here.

I think they're cute! I wish we had some here. I'd just grow more milkweed (LOL, I suddenly had this vision of a whole yard full of the milkweed!). I've heard about people that raise them, but they don't come here. BTW where I live, we also get the Queen butterflies, who are related to the Monarch and use our milkweeds as a host plant. Has anybody ever heard of deer eating the flowering tops off the milkweed? I really think they do!

Surprise here. I went out this afternoon to move the cats and there were only 10 left. Now where did they go? I looked on the other plants...No Cats...Do Birds eat them?

hmmmmmm birds shouldn't because it will make them sick. Wonder if they are off pupating all ready.

I wonder if their color really does discourage birds or if it's discouraging once they eat one and find out that color means "bad"? Kind of like "which one came first?".

I doubt deer eat milkweed either because it's poisonous, but do they know that before they try it? ??

I would think they were still too small to be pupating. The left over ones were still eating away. I haven't been out to look for them this morning, I hope they are not eating my brugs today. If so Squish city for them! LOL
Betty

I know you are getting tired of my saga of the "Not Monarch Cats". LOL
There is so much to learn in this world and you folks have helped me learn a lot.
One final post for the day anyway.

I found out what happened to the cats. When I went to check on them all 10 of the remaining cats were lined up head to tail on one of the stripped stems that had been a leaf. They all looked dead. I touched the leaf and they all fell off at one time. In the past few days I had touched the leaves and there was no mass jump. They were about 24" above the ground. They hit the ground and within seconds were underground. Maybe another part of their life cycle??? I am going back to read more.

most moths cocoon in the ground. usually in leaf litter

LOL...weird! You are learning about moths quickly, aren't you! These are really cool cats. I had never even heard of them until just recently when I was searching around.

Betty-
I was running to the local nursery to pick up more milkweed, like I was running to the store for a head of lettuce, cause the monarch cats kept chowing it all up- I didn't want them to starve! I have saved all the seeds, and am re-planting them in all kinds of spots.
Rj

BTW, the Mexican Milkweed (A. curassavica) is fairly easily started with cuttings. I've done it myself and I'm not good at cuttings. One time I had Queen and Monarch cats and there wasn't much left other than stems. I went outside and found a little wild milkweed vine and gave that to the hungry cats, then went to a nursery which earlier in the year had Mexican Milkweed. They no longer had any for sale, but fortunately for me the owner was there and I told him why I needed some. He took me out and showed me a couple of good size milkweed plants that had volunteered in his propagation area which he'd just potted up and then dug up another one for me also. I was happy, problem solved and since those plants weren't established in the pots, they didn't charge me much! I still have those plants, I believe.

It is really a weed here and grows everywhere. Very invasive. They do smell soooo good when they bloom.