caterpillar
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Not Native, But Helpful Nevertheless
My preference is to plant things here that are native to the area. By doing so, those plants should be accustomed to our soil and climate and should not need amendments or supplemental water once established. Sometimes I have made exceptions to choosing true natives, however. For instance, climate change is causing some plant ranges… Continue reading
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Relocating Caterpillars
Since I last reported finding a Queen caterpillar in my milkweed patch, of course I visited often to see how it (and the plant it was eating) was doing. Over the course of the next two days I realized that there were actually three other Queen caterpillars moving among the milkweed plants. Each was about… Continue reading
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A Queen Caterpillar
I have seen Queen (Danaus gilippus) butterflies here, so it is not surprising to find a caterpillar. Queen caterpillars are very similar in appearance to Monarch caterpillars, and they also use milkweeds as their host plant, so I had to look very closely at this one to know which it was. (Another clue is the… Continue reading
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Ten Days Absent, And Caterpillars Had A Feast
I was away from the garden for ten days and a quick scan when I returned suggested that most things looked pretty happy. However, one thing that I would have caught earlier had I been here was another batch of Genista Broom Moth (Uresiphita reversalis) caterpillars eating new leaves on my little Texas Mountain Laurel… Continue reading
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New Butterflies
Bordered Patch butterflies pupate quickly! On June 18, 2023 I noticed that a Bordered Patch chrysalis had formed on an American Beautyberry leaf (the pale object under a leaf in the photo below). On June 19, a second Bordered Patch chrysalis formed on an adjacent leaf. Both chrysalises were a creamy white color. On June… Continue reading
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Interesting Things Happening On An American Beautyberry
There is a young American Beautyberry shrub near the back door, so I see it every time I go outside. A few days ago I noticed a Bordered Patch caterpillar just curled up on a leaf, and the next day there was a chrysalis in that location. That’s the lighter object in the above photo.… Continue reading
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A Caterpillar In Disguise
One evening while I was looking closely at my Frogfruit, I saw what looked like a piece of dirt moving around. On closer examination I saw it had legs! This is the caterpillar of a moth in the genus Synchlora. Adults often have green wings, while larvae occasionally adorn themselves with pieces of plants to… Continue reading
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Older Black Swallowtail Caterpillars
When I reported a month ago that I was seeing Black Swallowtail caterpillars on my dill plants, they were quite small and had a “saddle” pattern over their stripes. Here’s an example: Now, a month later, I see several much chunkier caterpillars that are still the same species but with rather different coloring. These are… Continue reading
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Insect Poop Is Called Frass
One of the host plants for Bordered Patch butterflies, which I have seen here, is sunflowers and I do have an abundance of those. I wrote last year about observing Bordered Patch caterpillars, and I am starting to see them again. These caterpillars seem to travel around a sunflower plant as a pack, which surprises… Continue reading
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The Intricate Design Of A Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval stage for a moth or butterfly, between egg and adult. As they grow they shed several times before the pupation phase where they develop into their adult form. Here’s something I had to look up: moths make cocoons; butterflies make chrysalises. I find it fascinating that the coloration of caterpillars often… Continue reading
About Me
Nature Lover.
Inquisitive Observer.
Student Gardener.
I invite you to join me on my journey to convert my sterile (from a nature point of view) new house lot to a healthy and diverse ecosystem, as I make discoveries, mistakes, and hopefully progress. I am not an expert or professional. The project started in February 2023 and the location is Seguin, Texas, USA.
Rewilding My Lot 