When I discovered the Buckeye Caterpillar in my host beds, it was being surveyed by this little hardshelled bug. I was able to save the cat, and now have it in a safe cage preparing to morph. :-)
I was thinking some kind of Harlequin bug, or Predatory Shield bug... Anyone know for sure?
Thank you for your help!
Debnes
It may be a predatory stink bug, not sure either.
Half way down there is a 2 spotted stink bug feeding on a cat.
http://www.whatsthatbug.com/stink.html
Looks pretty close Roxanne! Ben said stink bug right away too. Now to find exactly which one. Bug Files could probably use a picture, bc I couldn't find this one in there. (I could have missed it though.)
Thanks!!
:-Deb
Deb, one more predator of cats to add to the already long list :(
Yep Rox! All the more diligently we protect them. It's our best defense; a better and better defense. Offense doesn't seem to work well at all, and can even have an adverse effect I think. The glad cages are working great.
Oh I have to tell you.. I bought a butterfly kit from Hobby Lobby just to see what was inside, lol. The cage is pretty good, but they are too high priced. Anyway I am using it for 10 of 20+ BST cats I have, the rest are in gladware boxes. They needed more herb and finding a whole curly parsley plant that looked like enough, I dug it up and put it in a container to put in the 1' square butterfly cage. I was watching them get back to eating, when I saw a small wasp in the cage. The ones that are about 3/4" (maybe a Br. wasp). I wondered, "How the %^& did you get in there??" Then I saw an empty pupa casing on one of the leaves that I had overlooked. It had eclosed in the cage!! Good thing tho, it didn't have a mate yet, so it couldnt have done much dammage. Still I shewed it out.
Another close call, *sigh*. Now a better and better look for casings as well as moving predators, BEFORE exposing the cats or locking them in with eminent death. Roxanne, was I so thankful to learn that!
:-)
Deb, those cats were all over my Johnny Jump-Ups earlier this year. I pulled them all off and killed them. I wish I had known you were such a fan.... I could have collected them and brought them to you. Next year, they're all yours (if you want them)
Oh, bb, I'll bet she'll want them, I would take them too, but I have no idea where Waxahachie is.
Deb, I have never seen those bfly cages at Hobby Lobby, I'll have to check them out, maybe with a coupon...more affordable?
I've had some close calls with spiders on my mw when bringing it in the cage, the worst problem is ants...they live in the soil in the pot.
Flygirl, plant some Johnny Jump Ups next year and you'll have plenty of those cats!
Hi Bronc!
Yep I'm a fan of conserving all Butterflies. I would come get them next time you get a batch. Funny how folks don't want to squash Butterflies, but the caterpiller has little chance to make it there because of what they eat.
Did you know what they were?
:-Deb
If you find any of these, (see pic), mail them to me. I will pay you back for postage.
Roxanne,
The Butterfly cage I bought was a kit. It had a pop out 12" cube with clear plastic on 2 sides, mesh fabric on 3 sides, and windbreaker material on the bottom. It is a simple wire frame cage, with a zipper that opens the top half way. It was $19.95. There was also a few cheesy plastic tools in there, and a brochure for ordering eggs.
4 of my cats in the cage decided to use the zipper to pupate... what's up with that?? I made a thingy out of wood for them, only 3 used that. Now I have to wait til they harden to open the cage...lol! Go fig.
:-D
Deb, I had no idea what kind of Cats they were! All I knew was that they were destroying my JJU's. They are really cool looking cats, though. Do you also like Hackberry Butterflies? I usually have a ton of those that I kill with BT spray (organic). You can take all of those, too!
