Cathy just linked the Monarch certification program in the post above yours, Becky. I'm thinking its $25. Not sure though.
DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 29
Don't worry, the butterfly house is empty right now except for that Monarch chrysalis. All the cats are in my various critter keepers or tupperware. I'm sheltering the small Gulf Frit cats from my gigantic one that needs to go into his chrysalis already!! Of my three little GFs, two of them just molted. They grow up so fast.
I feel like my various gardening habits are getting in the way of each other lately. I'm stretching myself a little thin. But I promise I will start my seeds very, very soon. I've got milkweed, fennel, dill, and parsley, as well as other nectar plants. This year all the butterflies are coming to my house!
Melanie
Hi Melanie,
Since it looks like the chrysalis is a uniform dark, and you can see a formation, it may still be viable and just getting ready to eclose. I wish it luck anyway. Did you have the ficus for a couple weeks outside the cage, or was the chrysalis there when you brought the tree home?
Hope it makes it.
I was thinking the same thing, Sheila. It does look like it has some form going on. I hope it makes it, also.
The chrysalis was on the tree when we brought it home. My brother was trimming it so it would fit in the cage and he saw it on one of the branches. It still looks the same; I'm just going to leave it for a few days and see what happens.
Melanie
Here is a better pic of those eggs on my hollyhock.. see above.
Elaine
another
last one... I sure hope these are good eggs...
Wow! That's a lot of eggs!! Please, someone, can you identify these eggs on EFG's hollyhocks?
Looks like Rust to me.
That's what I am thinking, too! Bummer if it is! I hate rust! It seems to love my Morning Glories! Grrr...
Well, you don't say! Look at that, it just may very well be rust. Lucy, how did you find that link so quick? Have you had experience with rust on hollyhocks before? Elaine, are you still up? The link says to cut all the infected stalks down to the ground.
Oh my Lucy,,, that is exactly what that is. Will be whacking those back and burning leaves and raking too. they are hardy and will come back.. sighhhhh and they are so pretty and green already. thanks for the id.
Elaine
I have rust on daylilies, and some other plants occasionally. It can get as big as eggs sometimes and look just like them. Elaine is gonna die, now.
If you rub your finger over the orange, it will come off on your finger. Wash your hands after you mess with the plant.
Well, I do have an issue with something unknown. And it is living critters. Take a look at this photo. What has me stumped is that all these cats are on Milkweed. I can't imagine what butterfly would lay that many babies on a single MW leaf. Anyone have any ideas. I don't see them eating the milkweed. I added some Nasturtiums and some 4 O'Clock leaves in the container. Just in case they might eat them. Only certain butterflies lay their eggs on MW, so what in the world is this. I don't even know if they will last the night without food if the MW isn't their host plant. Such a shame. Mama must have been dazed and confused when she laid all those eggs (especially if it was not their host plant)! HA!
Oh yes! You can see a couple of spots of rust on that leaf! LOL! I battled rust for months here when we got a lot of rain in December. Horrible stuff! =:-O
I don't know what those are, Becky. Do they have a lot of legs?
Are those Soldier cats?
http://www.pbase.com/10kzoomfz/mw_btfy_chocpansy_soldier
look at image #3d7028_ 125.JPG Chocolate Pansy Soldier???
Becky, I see yours doesn't have the red "face" but on image does show a black "face".
They are cats, not some other bug. I thought that too, but looked at them close-up! As you can see in this closer photo. Sorry my camera isn't a macro.
I do believe it's Chocolate Pansy Soldier cats! That's my vote.
I don't know Deborah. Why would these cats be on Milkweed? I am thinking they are some kind of tent caterpillar because there are so many of them together. Of course, Cabbage Whites often are together too.
I found this amazing list of butterflies:
http://www.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/warp/lepidoptera-English-index-a.html
Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars? I'm at a loss as to what they could be!
I thought Soldiers ate milkweed?
That link is a comprehensive list of so many species isn't it. Great list!
I want them to be butterflies. :o)
Deborah - You are right ... Soldier Butterflies are also Milkweed cats. This is a good site to tell the Butterflies apart:
http://butterflies.heuristron.net/butterflies/redCompare.html
I can't seem to find a photo of the cats for each species though. :-/
If they are, it will be the first time I've had them as cats on my milkweed. :-)
The cats do look like this photo:
http://www.pbase.com/10kzoomfz/image/75042482
This message was edited Feb 22, 2008 12:17 AM
Just to clarify, Viceroy only mimic the coloration of a Monarch, they are actually edible to birds so I don't think milkweed would be their host, correct? They use willows, poplars, aspen, cottonwood, birch, basswood, oak, hawthorn, gooseberry, deerberry, apple, cherry, plum, goldenrod, joe-pye weed, shepherd's needle, and Canada thistle. Isn't this correct for Viceroy hosts? http://entweb.clemson.edu/museum/buttrfly/local/bfly12.htm
Soldiers like that vining milkweed, I think I remember reading that somewhere. I sure hope your cats are butterflies. Look how many you could release if they are! Have you tried giving them so tender new milkweed leaves? They look as if they just hatched. Do you see and egg shells leftover or did they eat them all?
Hmmm...very interesting indeed! I've not heard of a Chocolate Pansy soldier. So that's a new one on me. The butterfly on that website has the marking of a buckeye (junonia species) so I googled it and found the Chocolate Pansy Soldier is Precis iphita. Those butterflies are from Asia and the larvae feed on a variety of plants of the family acanthaceae species.
I firmly believe if you plant it they will come...but that would truly be a long shot...and more emphatically a new U.S. Record! What can I say? You just never know - stranger things have happened :o)
The Soldiers we get here are a different species from the Junonia species. The U.S. has the Danaus species - Danaus eresimus. The ones here use milkweed as a larval host and are supposed to use vining milkweed but I've never gone looking for any. Can't say I've ever seen any lay eggs on my tropical milkweed plants eventhough they do come around to nectar.
Do you remember if the eggs were laid in a cluster? By the looks of those cats it would have to. Am leaning towards something like a Bordered Patch based on the fuzzy look about them...but they don't use milkweed as a larval host! Try tossing in some sunflower leaves to see if the cats will eat it.
First instar cats will eat their egg shells and be able to survive for a day or two at the most without food. Have they nibbled on the milkweed leaves yet? If not, best try tossing in leaves from other nearby plants to see if they will eat any of those.
Other than that...I can only think of tussock moth cats. I've never been around early enough during their life cycle to see them as eggs or first instar cats. I only seem to notice them during the 4th or 5th instar stage.
Time will tell!!!
~ Cat
This message was edited Feb 22, 2008 9:38 AM
Yes time will tell Cat :x).
What a batch of cats you have there Becky! I am joining the search for what they could be. Y'all come to the new thread and help us figure this one out:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/816367/
I have my first Frit of 2008...come see it on page 30.
debnes