Never fear, butterfly lovers! I come bearing news and photos!
Since I found that Orange-Barred Sulphur (who is now a chrysalis and appears to be male), I figured I ought to check the Senna again. And I found two caterpillars! Both Orange-Barred. I'm feeling generous so I think these guys are going to MOSI tomorrow.
I found one Gulf Fritillary cat on the Passiflora 'Lavender Lady', but there are probably a few more around.
There was a Cassius Blue flying around the plumbago. It looked like it was laying eggs, but I guess it changed its mind because I never found any. Also, I can't believe it let me get so close. That is not zoom, folks. That is me up close and personal. Gotta love cooler weather - it slows the butterflies down! Oh, and since we're learning, notice where the butterfly is laying eggs (or thinking about it). Cassius Blues only lay on the buds of plants so you only ever find the eggs and caterpillars there. Don't waste time looking at the leaves. Part of finding caterpillars is knowing which part of the plant they prefer.
So last year I found a cool caterpillar on the patio screen. BAMONA couldn't ID it and it died before becoming an adult. Well, I found another one today so we're going to try again. I already sent BAMONA these photos which are a little better than the last ones I took. Maybe we'll get an answer? FYI, I brought this guy inside so let's hope he doesn't die. He's obviously a lichen mimic and he's green underneath which is super neat!
