Thanks Dave, it's nice to see one even if I don't see the caterpillars anymore. Although, my neighbor's cherry tree totally had RSP activity on it. How do I know? Well, let's learn about Viceroys and Red-Spotted Purples...
Viceroys and RSPs are in the same family, even though the Viceroy is a Monarch mimic. The RSP is a Pipevine mimic so they're both trying to look like other butterflies. Viceroys pretty much eat willow as far as I know, and RSPs eat cherry although my book also adds aspen and poplar for the Viceroy and oak and poplar for the RSP. Although, Florida is literally covered in oaks and I've only ever found RSPs in cherry trees so not sure what to think about that. Never tried feeding one oak, either. But certain species eat different things in various parts of their range so what I find them on may not be what you find them on.
But, finding them can be easy! Both Viceroys and RSPs lay eggs in the same manner. They sit backward with their butt right on the very tip of the leaf and lay their egg there. I mean, right on the very tip. Then, the caterpillars eat the leaf in a distinct pattern. Here's where a picture is useful.
See, the caterpillar will eat all but the vein of the end of the leaf and then hang out on the end. This guy was heading for the leaf but I think he was trying to escape me. (I'm pretty scary.) I find that RSPs tend to leave a little bit of leaf to rest on at the end so the vein of the leaf makes kind of a "moat", if you will, to discourage predators from heading any further down the leaf. So if you see a leaf eaten in that manner, you've got caterpillar activity. As they grow they'll change leaves so look around if you don't see it at first.
Also, these caterpillars tend to curl up when they sit and I have no idea why. Must be a defensive thing. They also have what I call antlers which you can kind of see on this one, but they will be much more impressive in the next week or two.
Now, I had to go out in the yard to pick food again. FYI, I don't have willow growing within walking distance. Well, technically, there's some one street over which used to be walking distance before I got sick but now I drive my car over. And MOSI has lots of willow, too but for some reason we rarely raise Viceroys. The willow grows behind the museum in what we call the "Back Woods" area which has trails and stuff but I'm too afraid of going back there by myself anymore in case I should have a health emergency (or just plain pass out). And I used to find a lot of Spicebushes back there because there's Red Bay, too. I miss it.
Anyway, out in the yard I had the usual suspects. The Gulf Frits remain the dominant species.
Lots of Zebra Longwings, too. Can you see the pollen coating its proboscis? So neat!
I thought I saw a Pipevine ST flying around but it wouldn't hold still so I kept on picking food. Then, I turned the corner and BAM! There she was. You can kind of see the reddish-orange eggs peeking out from the left side of that leaf she's near.
Here's another picture. Also, I took a picture of the eggs once she left. Don't they still look a little wet? I found some more eggs - about ten total but I'll have to keep checking each day.
And as I was walking back to the house I unintentionally scared a Duskywing in the yard.
