CLOSED: Making a cosey home in my Borage.

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village1diot Vacaville, CA(Zone 9b) May 08, 2009

Making a feast of my Borage while nesting comfortably in a silky nest. Picture shows critter and damage.

Thanks!

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Post #6523096
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suunto Sinks Grove, WV May 09, 2009

I suspect that this is a larva of a painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui; Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). This species can be a serious pest on borage; see http://tinyurl.com/ohgd3n for details on its life history.

Post #6523781
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village1diot Vacaville, CA(Zone 9b) May 10, 2009

Yep, that's it alright. I see the butterflies everyday. I hate to kill the larvae of such a beautiful insect, but the damage is pretty bad on 3 of the 4 plants so I have to do something. I saw another small caterpillar this morning and I'm sure if I look hard enough I will find a few more. Maybe I can relocate them away from my Borage.

Thanks for the ID!

Post #6529050
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