RSPs have been stingy with me. It has been a few years since I've gotten to raise one. :( Does not help that my crabapples are getting the rust. Few leaves in decent shape. For a few years, I raised most of my cecropias on them but very few the last two years. There is stuff I can spray on the trees to stop the problem but I have no clue what its affect would be on caterpillars.

I finally had a Webb black willow survive transplanting and a winter. I was so happy to see it leaf out this week. RSPs have liked my potted ones in the past so they should like this one in the ground.

That's great that you got your Webb willow to survive in the ground! Mine has gotten so root bound, I'm going to be forced to plant it out, but I don't know if I can pick it up. 'Guess I'll get somebody to help me!

Sherry

'Found the first two red-spotted purple hatchlings yesterday, so I brought them in to raise - I'll be checking other eggs today.

'Also found the first American lady nests of the spring on some cudweed. I'd like to raise some of them also, so I'll undoubtedly be bringing some in to raise pretty soon.

I've got two red admiral chrysalides, and another cat is in the 'J' - I'm looking forward to releasing these beauties!

'Found a few more little bitty spicebush swallowtail cats, brought them in, and now I'm up to seven. The biggest one has gotten to about the ?4th instar.

In another thread, we were discussing pink-spotted hawkmoths, and it gave me the idea to plant morning glories along my road. I'll probably sow some of the seeds in pots and scatter some along the roadside - it would be so much easier if they'd just come up on their own! I also got some moonflower seeds, which I haven't planted in a few years. Morning glories and moonflowers are all beautiful, and the big moths are worth the trouble anyway!

The luna cats are eating a lot and getting really big and fat, more fat than long in typical luna fashion.

'Won't be too long before the pipevine swallowtails should be emerging!

I've got a sea of mock bishop's weed growing in my garden, plus rue and my wafer ash trees are growing nicely. 'Still no black or giant swallowtails, though. :( There's plenty of time for the rue and wafer ash to be used, but the mock bishop's weed doesn't fare too well in the heat of summer, so I wish they'd come on! :)

My ears tell me the migrant spring birds are all here! I've been hearing great crested flycatchers, summer tanagers, orchard orioles, yellow-billed cuckoos, vireos, warblers, especially hooded warblers, chuck-will's-widows at night, and this morning I heard my first Mississippi kite of the season! Here's a picture I made last year of a Mississippi kite with the zoom lens of my camera -

Sherry

Red-spotted purple caterpillars seem to stay tiny for so long, then BAM! they're big! There are six big red-spotted purple caterpillars and one little bitty one in my cages.

You can see three of the big ones in this picture -

And here's a close-up of one of them -

It's amazing how such ugly caterpillars make such beautiful butterflies!

Sherry

Miss Sherry, is there any way to tell if the Caterpillar is a RSP or a Viceroy?

Thanks

Yes, but you'll need a good magnifying glass to tell the difference, at least my old eyes do. Actually, if it's on cherry (or occasionally crabapple) then I know it's a red-spotted purple. It's only the caterpillars that show up on willow that could be either.

Here's a link showing the difference -

RSP and Viceroy Caterpillar Differences

Sherry

P.S. Four of the big RSP cats have made their chrysalis, the other two big ones are in the "J" and the little one is eating away!

Sherry