Thank you, Jay! I will look it up. I texted my husband that I might have to take a plant out of his tank (even though it does not look so great) to feed some caterpillars. His reply? “Why would a South Carolina caterpillar eat a non native plant?! It is still rather small....” Meaning he would like me to find some alternative.

Iris, I still think its a Sootywing cat, but I'm not sure what species. They feed on Amaranths and Alternanthera is an Amaranth, and they use silk to fold leaves.

Seems like a big family. There must be something in my garden they can eat. The little potted plant is already in a very sorry state.

Try giving it lambsquarters, Amaranth, or Celosia. I'll check and see if I can find more. Lambsquarters is a weed that's everywhere here. Not sure about down ther

e by you.

I think I have lambs quarters. Will look around. Thank you!

Iris, there's also goosefoot, wild beet, pigweed and cheeseweed. Cheeseweed is in the mallow family so if you have any Rose of Sharons or Hibicus you could try them. Lambsquarters are in the Amaranth family also. Good luck!

I took some quick pictures of some of the weeds earlier. Going to compare them later. If I can’t figure them out I am going to take some better ones to ask in the name that plant forum. Can’t forget the ruler for scale for them. I do have hibiscus and also swamp Rose mallow.

I would take your cat and let it eat my Alternantheras if I could. Beet leaves from the store would probably work too.

I put a pot with a cutting I took in Spring from the swamp rose mallow right next to it while I try to figure out what weeds I have (or other plants in that family) If they do go for it, great. I will still have learned what I have in my yard. Hope this is really rose swamp mallow. The mother plant popped up about 10 years ago in my brush pile. Since it is by now in deep shade and still flowering nicely, I thought I will take some cuttings. This is a look at the poor aquarium plant and the hopefully new food source.

Iris, my fingers are crossed. People eat lambsquarters too. They say it's delishious. It grows all over around here.