Cassia and Sulphers

Seems the only action I have really had this year is the Sulphur butterflies. I have seen them all year. Even when it was cooler in January. I planted two small Senna alata bushes in what I call my Bush Bed. (I have Wild Lime, Hercules Club, and a Crepe Myrtle all growing in this one bed. Well, after about 8 months of growth, the Cassia bushes have almost taken over. And it looks like the bushes are going to become trees! LOL! They are blooming now and so pretty! And I found a number of fat cats on them. Some yellow and some green Sulphur cats.

This message was edited Oct 20, 2007 9:52 AM

Here is a Sulphur cat that looks like it is just about ready to pupate into it's chrysalis. I am debating whether to bring them in or leave them out there. The cats have made it just fine so far. What do y'all think?

Here's a younger instar that was green. I think it was eating the leaves before the plant started to bloom.

Wow, that bush garden HAS grown since the last pictures I saw of it. Way to go Becky! I have a Christmas Senna seedling growing hoping next year it will be about that size in your picture.

The blooms on these bushes are lovely. The blooms are about 2 1/2 - 3 inches wide! And the bushes are just covered in blooms and buds! Quite a sight!

Becky, if the cats eat just the leaves they are green and if they eat the buds then they turn yellow? Is that correct?

Here's a another view of the blooms! Love the Senna alata almost as much as the Sulphurs do!! :-)

Deborah - Thanks! I will be interested to see what your Christmas Cassia looks like as it matures. Are these plants pretty hardy for colder temps? This is the first year that I have grown the Alata. I still have my Privet Cassia mini tree in the large pot and it is still going strong. It bloomed last month and I saw the butterflies all over it. But I didn't see any cats.

This message was edited Oct 20, 2007 9:58 AM

This is my first experience with this plant. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. It's planted in the ground.

Yes, Deborah! So the plant is a host for the Sulpurs regardless of whether they are blooming or not. Great plant, huh?!!!

I forgot to post the flowers in the previous post. Here it is!

That's a Loud Yellow, Wow!

Awesome caterpillars!!! It's funny how you can look at a plant and not see a caterpillar then once your eyes grasp the image of one you start seeing them all over the place.

Congrats!!!

Is this the same as Candlestick bush? I think it's from the Cassia family? I just found out the Black Witch moth caterpillars eat that.

~ Cat

Thanks, Cat! Yes, Candle bush tree is one and the same as Cassia Alata. Here's the link on DG PlantFiles:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/371/

Do you have a photo of a Black Witch Moth?

Becky...this is a photo of a female Black Witch moth. The male is similar but lacks the white rickrack marking.

These moths have a wing span averaging about six inches. They are huge and quite beautiful. When the sunlight or a flash catches the wings you can see an iridescence ranging from yellowish green to bluish purple.

I've never seen a caterpillar in my yard - but it was Dale Clark (www.dallasbutterflies.com) who told me he raises them on candlestick cassia.

~ Cat

This message was edited Oct 22, 2007 4:55 PM

...and the male Black Witch moth.

~ Cat

Oh THANKS, Cat! Pretty moths!! I didn't know anything other than Sulphurs used the Cassia as a host. Thanks for educating me once again! :-) :-) :-)

Becky, this is an interesting read

The Black Witch Moth: Its Natural & Cultural History

http://www.texasento.net/witch.htm

Interesting belief as quoted from the article:
"Known in Mexico by the Indians since Aztec times as mariposa de la muerte (butterfly of death). When there is sickness in a house and this moth enters, the sick person dies."

Sounds like the perfect moth for a Halloween Horror Movie!!! LOL!

Becky...so true!

The people out here are very superstitious about this moth. We had one over the doorway at work - all the stevedores and dispatchers were freaking out and didn't want to enter the building because that moth was perched above the doorway. They kept saying somebody was going to die...and I'd say - yeah ya'll - because if you don't get in here and get your work done - your boss is gonna kill ya!!!

I explained it was a Black Witch moth and that is was only a moth looking for a cool shady place to get out of the sunlight. I told them because its wings are so dark - being out in the sun wasn't good for it and that's why it was on the cool shady brick.

There are others that believe it will bring money. They call it that because they say the round markings resemble coins (pesos).

Needless to say, they all learned I was into butterflies and moths and now they come up to me to tell me what they see every so often.

That link is from Mike Quinn. He's our Texas Entomologist :o). He was down here for the butterfly festival. I always enjoy going out into the field with him. He is so knowledgeable about all the insects.

~ Cat

ps...there is also a White Witch moth...but alas, I have never seen one of those.


This message was edited Oct 22, 2007 8:28 PM

That's so funny how superstitious people can be over a pretty moth! I like the belief that says if one lands on you .... you will come into money! Send one over to me .... PLEASE!!! LOL!

ps...now considering the number of times I've seen those moths on my front door or back patio...I should either be dead or very very rich!!!

Here's one that was on my front security door.

~ Cat

...and another on the cedar beams of my back porch. The other previous photos were of one on a baited phone pole in my back yard and another actually clinging to the back porch roof.

Like I said...I'm still very much alive so where's my money?!!!

~ Cat

My Candlestick looks different, maybe it's not the alata, do you know what it is? I always see the Sulphurs on it but no eggs or cats.

That Black Witch moth is so cool, perfect for Halloween!

Fly-
Your plant is definitly a C. alata. They've just been added to an "invasive" list in my area and we weren't allowed to sell them at our MG Plant sale. They seed like mad!! I think that Becky has a different cultivar...maybe bicapsularis. They love everything in my yard...new this year is a "Popcorn" Cassia. When you crush the leaves it smells like popcorn! The kids love it!

Adrienne

Adrienne is sure right about this alata taking over if allowed.I think the Cloudless will be 2 differant colors depending if they eat more of the yellow flowers they will be more yellow or green if they eat the tender young leaves. Becky I'm with you about the sulfurs being always present this year in the back yard. They are sure cool looking cats. Don

I did a little experiment this year with a Sulphur cat. He was eating on the leaves of my Cassia Alata, and I switched him to just the flowers for a day. About mid day, he was half green and half yellow. By the end of the day he was all yellow.

I have even switched from Cassia Alata to a Christmas senna, and they didn't mind at all.
Also, if they have a choice of leaves or blooms, they seem to prefer the blooms. (just my observation) : )
~Lucy