I've never heard of a butterfly that preyed on beans, but that must be what you've got here, since insects only lay their eggs on plants that their babies want to eat. I would suggest crushing the eggs before they hatch.

Unless you like the butterflies better than your beans. I just upset my younger sister the other day when I told her those worms that were all over her parsley that she dilligently squashed were baby swallowtail butterflies. She said if she knew that she would have let them have the parsley. :-(

bettymarie

Could it be a cabbage looper moth? I can't see enough detail to be sure. They often end up on beans and the larvae can be very destructive to the plants. But before you destroy the eggs, make sure of the ID.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:111957}}

Anney,

Nope not cabbage looper, the body of this critter is a bright blue very fuzzy and rich in the blue color.

Neohippie,

So is that fact? The eggs are laid there since the plant will be tasty to eat? If so I should remove the eggs regardless of friend or foe?

I really like beans, and want to harvest some (its my first time gardening!).

All butterflies' and moth's eggs become a larva first, then a catterpillar, of some sort. Though butterflies are harmles and pretty but they havs some ugly past, especially when they munch on your favorit crops.

It's a swallowtail butterfly.

Yes, they do eat leaves. But in general, the suggestion would be to leave butterflies be. It can be very interesting watching them develop from one stage to the next.

{{gwi:111965}}

I think I've concluded its a silver-spotted skipper. Based on googled images and looking at the larvae of skippers and swallowtails. The image above was found in a leaf fold cocoon and matches the google image results for "silver-spotted skipper larvae"

BUT today after learning they'll inevitable eat my plants and that there were about 75 eggs and 4-5 little larvae in various stages I removed them with my hands, I put the guys in a place and killed the eggs. Now I feel so much guilt but was so afraid of them eating all the beans and getting "out of control" my loving partner reminded me that nature is first nature creatures domain.

Well can anyone tell me about any effects of having these around?

Hmmm. In the PORTRAIT image, I thought I saw "tails." Oh well.

Bettymarie, their on-line pictures don't show any blue on them, and I sure don't see any blue in the pictures you posted, though as I said, details are hard to see. But you may be right about the ID.

From the link above:

Identification: Wings are brown-black; hindwing is lobed. Forewing has transparent gold spots; underside of hindwing has a metallic silver band.

Life history: Adults perch upside down under leaves at night and on hot or cloudy days. To seek females males perch on branches and tall weeds, and occasionally patrol. Females lay single eggs near the host trees, and the caterpillars must find their proper host. Young caterpillars live in a folded leaf shelter; older ones live in a nest of silked-together leaves. Chrysalids hibernate.

Caterpillar hosts: Many woody legumes including black locust (Robinia pseudacacia), honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) and false indigo (Amorpha species). Also selected herbaceous legumes such s Glycyrrhiza species.

the color on the butt in the egg laying picture is the "blue" I was seeing, I wasn't convinced from the pictures of the adults, because they don't seem similar to those pics, BUT the baby catepillar/larvae is what convinced me.

Perhaps this is a common coloration though? As far as catepillar/larvae is concerned?

Long tailed skipper, rather than silver spotted skipper.

bettymarie

May Rhizo has narrowed it down to the correct skipper!

It DOES have tails, as Jean noted, and it has deep blue on its body as you noted. See the picture link at the bottom. It must be pretty common in Florida, since the site is titled "Florida Wildflowers and Butterflies".

But look at the {{gwi:111959}}. It doesn't look like the picture you posted.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:111960}}

On further examination, it appears that the larva in your post and in the link I posted are the same. The difference in color intensity of the caterpillar-stage pictures is what threw me off, but it's often true that color is distorted by pictures and there can be natural variations as well.

Rhizo,

Thank you so much for the correct ID!

And anney thank you for the links.

I did some research on the long tailed skipper and low and behold there are sites that specifically link them to beans, funny I didnt get those sites when searching for "moths/butterflies attracted to bean plants" but I found them now thanks to the correct ID!

While the tails were not as distinct I am certain this is the correct ID.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

We all love a good puzzle!