DAILY PICTURES #103

If they are on mustard plants (which are in the cabbage family) and they're green, those caterpillars might be cabbage white butterfly larva. I can't make out details in the photos, so that is my best guess.

Thank you,, they hard to see live also . green all green smooth body , no segments .

Yes that's the one !!!

Now what? .. drowned em , spray em , Or let em grow? to eat next seasons cabbage in all your gardens lol

This message was edited Aug 29, 2013 10:01 AM

Just got more info.... They should have a light yellow stripe. If not, they're not cabbage whites. check out the link-

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/cabbage_white.htm

I will hatch a few just to be sure , You cannot see anything but green with the eye , I will get the magnifying glass later and have a closer look.
Might interesting anyway . Well on my way to see what I might have growing as a mustard substitute , plants are to small to feed these guys , have five , watching for more ..

2gardenkate; GREAT PHOTO LINK !!! THANKS !!!

This message was edited Aug 29, 2013 10:34 AM

This is from two weeks ago. The lantana in the front yard is always busy on sunny days.

Forgot to say.... Black Swallowtail, female I think. I will have to post photos of the caterpillars later. Can't find them.... too many photos!

Pretty SWT... Lantana won't grow here ,, Zinnia will have to do ..

I grow lantana as an annual. It won't survive the winter here. Mostly, I have perennials native to this region but I order a few annuals from Select Seeds each spring. They offer a Cuphea that the ruby throats like and some real pretty lantanas.

I grow it as an annual too. Sometimes have tried to overwinter it inside, with not so much luck.

Got a surprise when I found these cuties on the parsley. How they got so big without me noticing them before, I don't know. 4 that i've found, three on the potted parsley and one in the herb bed.

They grow quick and sneak up on you ..lol I let mine alone on the fennel , I think the finches and tree toads ate most of them , Got to see one or two hatch and fly away though .
not so much of thing but I dusted these after 7 or 8 cats were removed to a container ,A compromise ,plants are only three weeks now I believe and a dozen or so cats munching won't do at all . Especially as I am out of seed for these ....

This message was edited Aug 29, 2013 2:38 PM

pic's of little black mustard , neat weed though

Happy Friday all - I am assuming this beauty is a Gulf Frit? Spotted in Atlanta - one on a bike ride, one briefly visited the home and checked out some Lantana - saw the orange and was hoping for a Monarch.

I have to make a bit of a confession - having declared the home open to butterflies, nothing would except for ordering some larvae from Monarch Watch to observe the transition. We are on day 7 - little, itty bitty baby almost hard to see larvae arrived - and they are getting nice and plump. Seriously amazing how much frass must be cleaned daily. 10 caterpillars doing well. Con - I did not realize these guys are cannibals?! I am absolutely sure we had 14 to begin with - 1 I think didn't make transit - and I truly believe the other 3 have been eaten.

Not sure with all the experts on this site if anyone would like to see the "babies" - but if so, I'll take some pics and share :) :)

Question ? Can two types of cats with different host plants be raised in the container space . Like a screened aquarium ? back space- a Happy Birthday from me too ! ^_^
Why don't I know these things ? ^_^

This message was edited Aug 31, 2013 12:33 PM

Even though I'm not a frequent visitor I still would like to say:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MELANIE!! Hope it's Grand!

Happy Birthday to you Melanie, hope there will be lots and lots butterflies surrounding you this weekend.

Thanks N.A.N. for the head up. ^_^

MM, these caterpillars do NOT eat one another; they may be fighting for position on a branch, but not hurting one another. Look again, some maybe hidden some where in the pavilon/cage.

Ju, I've kept two types of cats in one container before -- there were no apparent problem.

Lily Love thank you - we have 11 not 10. Glad to know they aren't cannibals!

@memmays....Hope you get much pleasure in rearing the Monarchs, I have. You may see something that looks like a dead caterpillar from time to time, it is where they shed their skin. (first pic) It is also good that you are counting them when you clean their cage so you don't toss one out, especially when there are a lot in the cage. (been there done that)
@juhur7 - As long as there is room it is fine, they are together in your garden. Only caution is if one is sick they may all get sick. I like to use smaller cages to watch them closer, and to take better pictures. (last pic) I use Glad containers, cut a hole in the lid and cover with a fine mesh tricot, tacking it at four corners to hold it in place.

I nearly fainted ...Friday afternoon I had a Monarch here on my phlox!! First on in the yard this year.

Wowweee! Congrats.

Someone needs to start a new thread, this is taking a while to load.

Here you go New Thread !

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1331484/

It's the "Gross Worm" haha. makes me say "ewwwww"

From yesterday. Painted Lady and two of a Mourning Cloak. I've had a monarch yesterday and today, but no photo. Also a comma or question mark zipped by.

Juhur, amazing that you can get a pix of those cabbage whites. I can never find them. They host on my watercress in the stream. I see holes and frass, but never a cat.

Well your pics Mrs_Ed are delightful . fun to see all the diversity . Every so often I see an admiral or Buckeye larvae , and another , Seems when there are several Larvae about they follow each other whether they are the same or not .
Try a couple of Mustard plants , you'll see them ,, lol

I have seen the cabbage white larvae chewing on Snapdragon with buckeye larvae and either of these chewing nettle . The more there are , the more of an omnivore they become . or so it seems here .

OK not a butterfly but pretty non the less
Polyphemus in our Metasequoia.

Stunning!!! Very nice capture.

yes, lovely. Thanks for sharing. :)

Hi everybody, where is our wonderful Melanie? Haven't seen her posting since her Birthday.

she's not here in Rock Falls.

This message was edited Oct 14, 2013 9:47 AM

Not here in FW Texas either.

Neither is she here in Central Alabama. I surely missed her posting, most of all, I miss Melanie just being Melanie with her love of nature.

OK, I sent her a fb message because she is there posting as of a week ago. Told her we missed her.

Here is the new #105 thread http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1337932/

This message was edited Oct 15, 2013 12:41 PM