Hibiscus host for ???

A friend of mine found cats on her hibiscus. Does anything besides the Grey Hairstreak use this as a host plant?

Thanks,

Maggie

HI Maggie!
Here are several it could be:

Io Moth> *caution~ they have stinging hairs*
Yellow Scallop Moth
Rose of Sharon Moth
Common Checkered Skipper
and as you mentioned Gray Hairstreak
Ask her to look for frass and use a magnifying glass to locate what could be a green caterpilar. If she does have her take a pic..

I have pics of all of these in a book here.. You might find pics online at:

Butterflies and Moths of North America
What's that Bug?
Bug guide

LMK!

:-Deb

Show us a photo...am curious to see if it is a hairstreak cat.


Deb...had no idea the Io moth used hibiscus as a larval host!!! I shall go check my plants today. Am raising two Io cats there were on my wisteria. They have some vicious looking stinging hairs indeed!!! EEEK!

~ Cat

Yeah Cat!
I was researching for Maggie here and found out myself, LOL! Here's a DGers post:http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/413/index.html
go down the page to artcons post.

Here was the Google results page:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Io+Moth+Hibiscus&btnG=Google+Search

I found the information in the Eastern North America Caterpillar book by looking up Hibiscus, and Malvaceae.. But it was the first one I came to in the book. Definatly said Hibiscus, lol!

Then when I googled I got the 2 links up above..
Pretty interresting .... I have lots of different Hardy varieties and a Texas star. Will have to keep a watch for them too! (Sparce chance, but possible.)

Thanks guys. I recall the Io post now. I remember seeing something about a dramatic cat and knew it wasn't the Hairstreak I was thinking of. I'll ask her to take pics. i'm hoping for Ios so I can raise some.

Maggie

Maggie,

Just be careful and don't touch the Io cats...I've been reading up on them since I've got one in the cocoon stage and another last instar cat I'm watching over...the sting from those hairs has been described as an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10 :o)

~ Cat

I promise you I'll be VERY CAREFUL. I find them interesting but not so cuddly I want to try to pick them up. LOL

Maggie