I envy those gulf frits, Linda! I don't usually get any until around June or so.

'Sure hope those cats become adult butterflies!

Sherry

I do too, Sherry!
Added to list today:
5 newly-hatched PVST cats. I found them on pipevines at the nearest town to us and even though I lost a few potted pipevine plants over the winter, I think maybe I can raise five cats, so brought them home.

Nice surprise...found just the one cat the other day!

Congrats on the monarch, Linda, even if it is just one!

I've got more pipevine swallowtail cats than I can count, plus more outside, 9 or 10 American ladies, and 8 pearl crescents, plus more outside. I expect to be raising some palamedes and spicebush swallowtails soon, since I've found the eggs.

There are some more 'hot prospects' but, as of today, that's all of them.

Sherry

Hooray for the Monarch! Hope to see more as the season wears on...

John

A couple of the Pipevine Swallowtail cats, there is actually six of them

This post was edited by linda_tx8 on Fri, Apr 25, 14 at 20:41

One of the two tiger cats.

Painted Lady cat, the other two have already pupated.

I checked the patch of Antelope Horns on the back slope today and there were 3 eggs on those milkweeds! I've been carrying water to those from time to time to encourage them to grow bigger. Sure could use some rain!

Congrats on finding the new monarch eggs, Linda!

There is supposed to be a weather system that will likely bring us rain, maybe severe weather, Monday or so. Maybe it'll bring south Texas some rain!

Sherry

No rain in the forecast and the area is under a red-flag warning! The 3 milkweed eggs hatched, I THINK the tiny cats look like Monarch cats. The older cat is doing fine so far. Oh, I wondered if anyone has seen Pipevine Swallowtail cats like these below? They're like this just since they reached 5th instar! There's PVST eggs on my pipevine plants outside...darn! Pretty sure I don't have enough foliage left to raise that many! More Red Admiral cats showing up...even on some pellitory growing in a big pot that just came up on its own.

Those are the darkest pipevine swallowtail cats I've ever seen, Linda, and their red things are hard to see! I've never seen any that color. Mine go through a red stage in some of their early instars, but then turn black, except for the red things, can't remember what they're called.

I'm sorry you're not getting any rain - 'wish I could send you some of what we're getting!

Sherry

P.S.

I'll redo my caterpillar list here -

1 lone red admiral - the false nettle patch is declining, I think because it's getting totally shaded out. I'm going to start transplanting plants that are in dense shade to other wet but sunny areas nearby. Finding one RA nest is like eating one potato chip - it doesn't usually happen, so a revamping of my nettles should help.

5 or 6 spicebush swallowtails
2 palamedes swallowtails
too many to count pipevine swallowtails (plus many chrysalides from this year's crop)
2 American ladies (plus 6 or 7 chrysalides)
1 tiger swallowtail
8 pearl crescents

I'll be bringing in at least 2 red-spotted purples when they hatch. I'll look for more eggs tomorrow.

Sherry

This post was edited by misssherry on Wed, Apr 30, 14 at 19:50