Ah, here at last....about 10 at first check, including at least one cat. I caught one just hatched so took a pic. I've got some tiny cats also on a Bush Croton I haven't even had a month now. Leafwings, maybe? Looking at one with my loupe, it doesn't look exactly like any leafwing cat in my cat book...at least not yet, they're so very small and I can't get a decent picture. Darker than pic of the goatweed cat, kind of medium dark greyish-green with lighter spotted areas. Interesting year I'm having with the cats...they are continually surprising me. You just never know!
Spicebush is here! And whatever is on my croton!
Oh, and here's an SBST egg.
Oh Linda!
That's exciting! What did the Spicebush lay eggs on?
Adrienne
Well, what I have is 3 Spicebush plants...I was just waiting for a mama butterfly to get here to lay eggs! I thought the pic of the just-hatched cat was posted, but I see that didn't come through. Maybe it'll work this time.
You guys are amazing! HOW can you see those teeny tiny little things?
Spicebush, spice bush....I have to get some of those. I found them mailorder for only $9.00 each, but then I got sidetracked by all the other stuff they sell and didn't order anything. :)
However I am always amazed when you have a teeny fleck of something that you identify as an egg, or in this case a cat....
Suzy
Linda - Outstanding!!! Congrats on the new babies!!! Keep us posted on their progress! Are you raising them in a cage? If not, watch out for predators that will eat them.
Me too, Suzy! I have a few seeds I got in a trade and I cold stratified them, but still not luck getting them to germinate. I think I am going to have to just buy a plant at our native nursery if they have them. I want the cats and butterflies, too! :-)
I haven't taken any SBST cats in yet. But only one has hatched so far. The croton cats...I've brought in 2 of them. The leaves they were on wilted pretty quick, so I cut a piece of branch...we'll see. I only have one small plant, so foliage is so limited. That's a problem...sometimes raising them in cages uses the foliage up too quick.
I took a look (with the loupe) at one of the croton cats with different coloring. I'm wondering if it could be a Tropical Leafwing. They're so pretty!
http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabast/tleaf.html
Linda - Oh wow! A new one for this forum! Do raise those little croton babies! :-)
The little croton cats are funny. They feed like the RSPs, eating at the end of leaf back, but leaving the central midrib part...and that's where they hang out most of the time, toward the end. So when the leaf is almost gone , there they are dangling way down toward the end. They're growing pretty slowly. All of the Spicebush cats have hatched, I think. Little bitty bird droppings.
Here is a pic of one of the croton cats. I think that it looks like one of the leafwing cats, but which one?
This message was edited Jun 14, 2007 10:59 PM
Linda, that is a very interesting cat, be sure to show us what it turns out to be.
Josephine.
Linda - Are you raising him? He's different looking, isn't he?! Very cool that you found him. He blends in pretty good!!! :-)
A mother SBST paid my plants another visit today and left a half-dozen eggs. In the meantime, here's one of the little cats from the first bunch. It looks a bit goldish in color...guess it hasn't taken on that typical bird dropping look just yet?
Great photos! How did I miss this post?! Love the Spicebush!!! I purchased a couple of Spicebush and Sassafras trees in the hopes of luring those butterflies to my yard. Might be wishing upon a star...as there are no records this far souht...but ya just never know!!!
~ Cat
Cute cat! Is the head facing up or is the head facing down? I'm as confused as a predator!
Suzy
The head is facing down, Suzy. You should be able to see one of the two eyespots on the head end, if you look real closely. I love their eyespots. It's like they're looking around all wide-eyed, you know. But those will show up better later on.
Yes, I saw the eyespot, I was just confused because I thought they were at the opposite end so if a predator came, he would attack the end without the head. I'm sure that's what I learned in 4th grade. hahaha.
Oh Linda!
Your baby is great! I'm so excited for you! I've got Spicebush and Sassafrass but I haven't seen any action yet. Now, thanks to your picture I know to look under the leaves for the eggs! Thanks again....
Your croton cat is really neat-kind of fuzzy and bumpy looking!
Adrienne