DavidLMO said:



I too have a Plumbago which I kept on my deck in full sun. I wintered it over under lights in my basement and when I took it out just after Mother's Day, it was in full bloom and it never stopped the whole Summer. Butterflies AND Hummingbirds just loved it!

Got the precise botanical name for it? Sounds like something I'd like to grow, too.

There are several types. Mine is Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata) which does not grow upright nor does it actually sprawl. It just sort of sits there and looks pretty.

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Edited to remove duplicate post.

I want to know what kind @DavidLMO has because I want one that behaves like his does.

Charles, Tobacco Hornworms eat plants in the nightshade family. So tomatoes, brugmansia, datura, etc. Caterpillars are pretty picky and only eat plants which can successfully host them. That's why we call them "host plants". So the caterpillar went back to the Datura because that's likely the only thing (or closest thing) it could eat. They will starve rather than eat the "wrong" plant.

Thank you Melanie nice to konw information. I'm sure glad he didn't like my EEars because he sure could eat. Watched him for a little while and my plant was going in one end and out the other

Charles, they're like babies. Eating and pooping and growing is pretty much their job.

crittergarden said:I want to know what kind @DavidLMO has because I want one that behaves like his does.

Monrovia

Royal Cape Plumbago

Plumbago auriculata 'Monott'

PP # 7822

"Mounded vine-like shrub blooms continuously". Which is how it grows. Mine is about 2 -3 ' x 2 - 3 ' and new stems do come out vine like.

Care card does not indicate hardiness zone (jerks!!) Zone 9 -11 on their web site. Jerks.

I need to cut it back hard. Did not do before I brought it in. Tried propagating from cuttings last year when I cut it back, but they failed.

It really is lovely and never stopped blooming. Likes a lot of water in the heat.

http://www.monrovia.com/plant-...

Several types of butterflies and hummers visited it nearly every day throughout the summer. I had it on my deck in all day sun

That's the most complete info anyone has ever given me!

I'm so behind on posting my photos! I've been really busy lately. I was telling my therapist on Tuesday (just one of the many things I did this week) and he asked, "Isn't that a good thing?" I told him mentally it was, but physically, I was tired. I just need a couple days to chill out.

Speaking of chilling out, our first real cold front has come through and it rained pretty good. But the exciting part is that we're going to get down to 48 degrees tonight! I may have to turn down my ceiling fan.

So the other day Mom walks in the door and tells me there's a "really big Spicebush" outside. I go get my camera and tell her that it's not a Spicebush. It's a dark form female Tiger Swallowtail! I had seen a male the week before which is weird because it is November and even in Florida the Swallowtails are usually overwintering now. I checked all my Sweetbays but found no eggs. I did get a few pictures for you guys, though.



There are so many White Peacocks this year. I've never seen so many at one time. And it's all over, not just my yard, or MOSI, but everywhere I go.



I've got some torn up Gulf Fritillaries, but they're still flying.



There are also a lot of Long-Tailed Skippers. They're pretty common, but like the White Peacocks, I'm not used to seeing this many at the same time.



I couldn't get the best picture of this Skipper, but I need to send it to BAMONA. The number and placement of spots just doesn't look quite right to me.



Found a Gulf Frit cat on the Corkystem Passion Vine.



All right, it's time for another episode of "Caterpillar Hunting With Melanie!" First, let's look for the leaf-shelter building Long-Tailed Skipper!



Next up is the mystery moth on my Pokeweed. I sent a very good pic of the adult moth to BAMONA and they couldn't ID it. This one builds leaf shelters that remind me of the Spicebush Swallowtail.



Now, these caterpillars use a common defense tactic known as "fall off the plant". As in, if you disturb them, they will drop to the ground. I was collecting Spotted Oleander Moth cats at MOSI today and they do the same thing. It's pretty convenient if you have a container ready to catch them, but annoying if they fall in the dirt and then you have to try to find them. I picked one back up and that's why he's covered in sand. The other caterpillar pictured on the Pokeweed seemed to be paler in color and look at all the silk! I think it might have been getting ready to pupate.



There are tons of Barred Sulphurs on the edge of my neighbor's property.



And here are a few more pics of a White Peacock. So pretty!

[quote="mellielong"]
I've got some torn up Gulf Fritillaries, but they're still flying.



What cause them to get torn up? Just Life?

"Life. Don't talk to me about life." Couldn't resist. Yeah, old age, bird attacks, lizards attacks, and all that other stuff that happens in nature contributes to butterflies looking like that.

All right, I had my nap and now I made a cup of tea...well, a mug of tea, so let's get to some more pictures. By the way, I checked the weather and we're supposed to get down to 49 tonight and tomorrow night. Brrr!

I checked the butterfly garden at Joshua House the other day. Mostly I just needed to get out of the library for a minute. Books are heavy and it's dusty in there. The milkweed has been egg-bombed and a Monarch did a fly-by while I was standing there but I think I scared it when I tried to get a picture. I did find a much slower moving Gulf Frit caterpillar.



I've only got one type of caterpillar I'm raising right now and that's the Io Moths. So I can't even pet them. They've been eating so much and I've been chanting at them "Pupate, pupate" and I think they're finally listening. I have nine; here they are on the lid of the Gladware.



Now, on the left we have a cocoon, although I peeled away some of the leaves. In the middle are the caterpillars that are still eating. On the right, you may think that caterpillar looks weird, but he's just getting ready to pupate. Even if your caterpillar doesn't do a dramatic gut purge like the Swallowtails, they will often appear to "shrink" like this one. That curved pose is also typical of one about to pupate.



Today, that caterpillar on the right looked like this!



Now, for my photos from MOSI! FYI, I'm going to have to learn to keep my thoughts inside my head. I was talking to Oleander caterpillars today and a guest walked up the sidewalk and I'm sure they thought I was some crazy lady. Luckily, I have a nametag! It used to be a plain MOSI Volunteer nametag with my name on it, but I found some small, glittery butterfly stickers that I put all over it. I had a cool caterpillar one for a while but the antenna would never stay down and he peeled off. I just like to make it clear that I'm the person to ask about butterflies. I should take a picture and show you guys. (Note to self...)

Okay, let's start with some Zebra Longwings! Love was in the air as there were two mating couples. The one was mating when I came in, but the others started later. I think one of them was actually a butterfly I released when I first came in. If there's one species that doesn't wait long to get busy, it's the Zebra Longwing.




We seem to have acquired more Monarchs. Even in the caterpillar tank, all but one had turned to a chrysalis and I'm pretty sure there were more than I found last week. And I was the one who started the tank, so maybe they found some more during the week.



I'm pretty sure this is the same Giant Swallowtail that was in there last week.



Malachite brunching on the orange.



This Malachite was like, "Leave me alone. I'm still sleeping."



We have plenty of chrysalis boxes but there seems to be a shortage on lids so it's double occupancy at the lab. These two Malachites emerged together, but the one on the left was more eager to fly. Or, at least crawl up my hand.



This Julia was pretty tore up, too. My friend Dominic visited today and caught one of the lizards in the flight cage and relocated it outside. Yes, I put children to work. Don't worry, we trade caterpillars and stuff.



I got to release some White Peacocks but most were hanging out up top. This guy was on the ledge.



Way up on top were some Sulphurs. I could only get a picture of the Orange-Barred, though.



I don't really do the "Multi-plant Photo" thing here at ATP, but I do have some multi-butterflies-on-plant pictures. Here's a Zebra Longwing with two Malachites. Full disclosure - I put the Malachites there to dry their wings.



These pictures, in contrast, were not staged. This is a Monarch and two Zebra Longwings on Jatropha.



Now, back home I had quite a surprise on the porterweed. A Great Southern White! I've been butterflying for a little over 8 years now and never saw one of these in the yard until about three years ago. I've seen them a few more times but they're still pretty uncommon in my neighborhood. Even the ones we get at MOSI are from the butterfly farm we trade with. I have seen them in the wild down in the south part of the county, though. FYI, I live about three miles south of the northern county line so when I say south county that's a lot of miles away.



Still so many Long-Tailed Skippers.



I saw two Gulf Frits but one chased the other off so it could claim my magic red pentas.



Still a lot of hard-to-photograph Barred Sulphurs in the backyard.



And this White Peacock had a bite taken out of it, but it was still flying around and making me chase it to get a photo. In case you're trying to picture it, imagine the butterfly with its wings closed, something biting down, and you can see why it has roughly symmetrical missing pieces from each of its lower wings. Also, this is why many butterflies have fake eyespots at the base of their wings.



And just for fun, here's my Gopher Tortoise looking annoyed today. And that's a Spanish Needle flower behind his (her?) hole. Those things grow everywhere. Well, except in the shade.

I've been super busy this week but a friend took me for a ride to show off her property. I was impressed with all the work, the new buildings, stone walls and the fancy electric gate, but the most exciting thing was her colorful wheelbarrow garden with one very busy Zebra Longwing. First one I have ever seen.

mellielong said:I'm going to have to learn to keep my thoughts inside my head. I was talking to Oleander caterpillars today and a guest walked up the sidewalk and I'm sure they thought I was some crazy lady.

Mellie, you keep on talking to them!
Just say to the "look at you weird" people that you volunteer there because of how much you love them and ask if they have any questions to ask.

Yeah, I figure as long as I don't scare the children they'll put up with me. My favorite thing to do when I find a caterpillar is shout demands that he lead me to his comrades. Pretend I'm back in the Soviet era and I'm the interrogator. You gotta have fun where you can get it in this world.

Shouting, "Lead me to your comrades!!" is always more effective if you use an accent...like Boris and Natasha on The Bullwinkle Show.

I'll have to work on my accent. Maybe that's why they're not giving up the goods. They know I'm bluffing.

Imaging Melanie looking at cats and shouting very Natashsesque "You vill tekk me to yurh comradds!!"
And visitor and saying WT?

hehe