Is this a butterfly or should it be gone. Every year after my desert rose blooms, I get these bugs and they demolish the leaves on my plant. The plant doesn't seem to mind because it comes back stronger. If they are butterflies. I will leave them as I do on my passion vine.
Picture 2 on same plant.
It looks like the caterpillar of the Polka-Dot Wasp Moth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syntomeida_epilais
Be gone! Sorry I love butterflies, but oleander moth or polka dot wasp loves the dessert rose, I had one eat all the leaves on my dessert rose last year in one day. I have an Oleander out front and they will eat it down in just a couple days, so I do pick them off. They also like my milkweeds, which is Monarch food.
The cats on your passion vine look similar but they are Gulf Fritillary butterfly, they have shorter spines and yes leave them on the passionvine. http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/bfly/gulf_fritillary.htm
This message was edited Jun 9, 2014 10:00 AM
This message was edited Jun 9, 2014 10:07 AM
Yep, my dessert rose has NO leaves left and they have moved on. If I find them devouring another plant they are in for a surprise! Thanks for the input. Next year they won't have a chance!
