Hi molanic,

I'm not raising any AL but I can imagine what you're going through! Like you, I was also excited when I saw an AL laying eggs in my pearly everlasting and Pussy Toes. But then I started seeing this on a DAILY basis and wondered just how many eggs were being deposited. One day I finally went to look and almost ALL the leaves have been "silked" shut by caterpillars. (I opened a couple to verify this) I can't imagine what I would do if i were raising them because all the leaves are occupied, or part of a caterpillar fortress.

The pussytoes have caterpillars too, but not as many...they aren't able to silk those leaves together like the pearly so I'm guessing many fall victim to predators.

Sometimes, it's best to leave them outside if you can't keep up with the food demand.

Good luck with your cats, Tony

Just in case you did not know about the HOSTS database, I have linked to it at the bottom. Might give you some hostplants you did not know about.

Switching food on caterpillars can be tricky business. "I'd rather die than switch" is a common mantra.

I've been trying to get some lunas to switch off paper birch since I'm using too much. They had been refusing. Yesterday, I was in a hurry so I just laid the birch branches on top of the alternative branches they were refusing. When I looked today, the birch branches were bare and the alternative had been pretty much stripped. Worth a try for you.

Stinks when the mama is not careful where she lays her eggs. Over the years, I've rescued many monarchs that would have starved if I had not happened along.

Good luck.

Would help if I would actually post the link after I said I would.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vanessa virginiensis HOSTS database results

Cudweed is very common, but very weedy looking, so I'm wondering if maybe you live in an area of all manicured lawns? American ladies never lay too many eggs here, so it sounds like she just dumped them where she could finally find a host plant.

The scientific name for most of the cudweed that grows here is Gnaphalium pensylvanicum - judging by that name, I'd say it grows up north. Here's two pictures of it, in case there are weedy areas around you where you could look for it -

{{gwi:456148}}

And the flowers, American ladies' favorite part -

{{gwi:456150}}

Sherry

Thanks for all the great info and pictures everyone. I don't recognize the cudweed, but now I have a good picture to go by while looking. The other ones I had looked at showed the leaves as much more silver and fuzzy looking, but I see there are different varieties known as cudweed too. It seems like based on appearances at least they would be more likely to try that than some of the other host plants I have read about because at least it looks similar.

I double checked and the ironweed I gave them I have labeled as western ironweed (Vernonia baldwinii), and the other ironweed patch just says ironweed, but leaves look more like the western ironweed than the pictures of common ironweed I have seen online. Perhaps that is why they won't try it... or is ironweed a long shot anyways. I also saw asters, common mallow, common sunflower, and burdock listed on a few sites. But I am wondering if that is just mistakes confusing the American Lady with the Painted Lady. I tried putting in some aster, mallow, and sunflower leaves just in case. I know where I can get some burdock too to try, but am thinking it is a long shot as far as them actually eating it.

For next year I will have to start some more of the pearly everlasting and try some of the pussytoes or sweet everlasting as well, just to have some more patches and variety. I had sown all the pearly everlasting seed I had and planted it out just last year and it filled out into one large plush clump of about a 2' diameter. I never thought it wouldn't be enough considering I hardly ever even see American Ladies... just a few so far this year. You may be right that she just dumped most of her eggs all in one spot. If I could have actually seen the eggs I would have never brought that many in. I just pulled the few leaves I saw her touching, but couldn't really make out the eggs in the fuzziness. Lesson learned.

I have lots of Artemisia ludoviciana 'Valerie Finnis' and could send you some with roots if someone could confirm that they will eat that. It spreads a little bit too much, but it's not horribly invasive. It's very pretty which makes up for me having to pull out a little extra every year. I tried to pot some up that I pulled out earlier this spring and it didn't care for being in a pot I guess. It died. I'm sure you could keep it alive at least long enough for your ALs to eat it. Email me if you'd like to try it.

I had to go back and look up an old thread that I started and I believe it was American Ladies that I found on my Valerie Finnis a few years ago but I haven't seen any again since then so it may not be their favorite thing to eat or maybe I'm just not looking hard enough. I do see American Ladies fluttering around in my occasionally.

Here is a link that might be useful: Who's curling up in my artemisia Valerie Finnis leaves

Molanic--I am in the same boat as you! I think that maybe there are too few host plants so that when they find a patch they go crazy just like what MissSherry said.

I wanted to raise some, but I just don't have enough host plants. I bought several pussytoes and some A. ludoviciana (sp? ).

I know what you mean about how the "related composites" get listed but what does that mean?

The Possibility Place had a lot of pussytoes a few weeks back--don't know where you are in IL--that might be an option, except they don't do mail order. They are a little too far for me at this period of my life. :)

Let us know if you find a reliable substitute for the regular food plants.

Thanks for the generous offer Christie, but I think I'm entering the homestretch and will be ok. I'll be keeping an eye out for more of these host plants from now on...both at stores, and in weedy patches. I'll also have more things to add to my want list for seed trading this winter.

I was finally able to find licorice plants at a nearby Home Depot. Not sure if it has pesticides on it or not, so I am just giving it to some of the cats in separate containers to test it. Some readily started eating it right away. The leaves look very similar in color and texture to the pearly everlasting, but the crushed leaves do have that licorice like smell. I also am testing the Artemesia 'silver mound' I got on a few cats in a separate container too. I ran the cuttings from both new plants under plenty of water, but I don't know if that would really wash away any pesticide or not.

I did end up putting about ten of the smallest cats back outside by the pearly everlastings to fend for themselves. I'm trying to just pick individual leaves off from it instead of cuttings to give it a chance to grow back. I'm also giving it some extra water even though I know they are supposed to be drought tolerant plants....but it is bone dry here now.

I just counted the chrysalises and have 30, with another 2 or 3 "J-hanging". I have only released two of the butterflies so far. So that could be at least 35 "successes" so far which ain't bad I guess. I think I'll have to start a new thread on a more positive note about these American ladies to put some of their pictures up. Thanks again everyone for all the great info.

My goodness that's a lot of American Ladies! Sounds like it's going well. Congrats!

I raised 5 more cats in addition to the spring ALs cats a while back...the last one just finished pupating. These are either late-comers or early, as I usually don't see them here in June or July. Hopefully the Sweet Everlasting plants will have grown a bit more by the time any more show up. We're in another dry spell...more than a month since the last rain, so hoping for rain! El Nino, please show up soon!