I have yet to see a PL or AL. Linda may have seen some since she has a more prolific wildlife area than do I.

But, notwithstanding, CONGRATULATIONS!!! I always feel like it really is spring when MissSherry gets RSP EGGS!

Susan

Misssherry, congrats on your find...an excellent picture.

Our wild cherry trees around here are huge and the Butterflies seem to lay high up in the trees, especially the Tigers.

Did the RSP lay on a lower leaf? Or did you need a ladder?

It's amazing the contrast in climates...None of our trees even have LEAVES yet!

Congrads......yes, I saw an AL laying on my cudweed, which I have been removing from my lawn, but leaving in the beds. Not sure how they're doing, I've never tried to raise them, and thus didn;t look for the eggs, but I do remember where. Now whenever I pull one as a weed, I always worry if I'm pulling cats out.....but once under control, I'll have enough for them in the beds...:)

Yes, Susan, RSPs are the old reliables around here! :)
Many of my wild cherry trees are huge, too, Mary Ann, but I always have a lot of younger, smaller trees coming up, and the RSPs always lay a lot of eggs on them - since the hurricane, there are quite a few that are sprouting from big trunks, too, so I can now reach some that previously were unreachable. I know they lay some higher up than I am tall, too, because I've seen them doing it, but I don't think they use the uppermost leaves. Tiger swallowtails must "own" the tops of the big cherry trees, because I see them flying high up there all the time. I rarely ever find a tiger egg or cat, but they're very common as adults, so I assume they lay their eggs high up in the trees. I've also found tiger eggs on some of my pteleas - wish I could find one on a young tulip tree that's close to my house.
I don't think I'd like the LONG winters you have up there Mary Ann, although I'd love to have some baltimores and tortoiseshells! We get a few months of winter here, not severe, and that's enough for me!
I may eventually get some AL cats, Paul - the weather is still cool enough to keep the cudweed healthy. Last year I had jillions - go figure!
MissSherry

Nice photo. Need to plant some wild cherry around here.

randy

Randy, I have another wild cherry seedling if you want one. Maybe Linda and I will be up that way soon, so I can drop one off. We are going to Elaine's house and I could leave one with her - she lives in Norman.

Christie shared some with me last year - 5 of them! I am sending two to Cathy, and really only need to keep one, if you want a couple.

Susan

WAY COOL!!! We don't get those this far south. Cherry trees neither. Don't get Tigers either...drats!

Found lots of American Ladies cats curled up in the cudweed back at the ranch. I learned fairly quickly how to distinguish between a caterpillar nest and a spider nest - after a few good scares of course!

Brought four caterpillars and several transplanted cudweeds with so I could raise them here. Didn't realize I had cudweed growing wild in one of the flowerbeds either until I compared the plants. DUH!!! Three butterflies have already emerged and flown the coop. Have one strangler still in the reptarium.

Congrats again on the RSP :o)

~ Cat

Congrats to you on the ALs, Cat!
MissSherry

MissSherry,

Great picture of the RSP egg. Do they usually lay their eggs on the TIP of the leaf? In fact, I learned two things today on my favorite forum. I didn't know that Monarchs seem to prefer to lay their eggs on emerging milkweed plants. Isn't it amazing how they are able to find the plants that we can barely see? Makes us realize how much we have to learn about these wonderful creatures.

mike

Yes, Mike, even when they use crabapple or willow leaves, which isn't too often, RSPs (and viceroys) always lay their eggs on the very tip of the leaf. Tiger swallowtail eggs are green and laid most anywhere near the center of the top of the leaf, never on the very end. Well, never say never - they might have a bad aim every now and then.
I didn't have any viceroys last year, but then I didn't have any willows for them. This year I do, so hopefully I can raise some of those beauties, too!
MissSherry

I've been finding more RSP eggs all over the cherry trees in the woods and around my house. The egg in the picture on this thread hatched today, and it was starting to eat the egg shell when I made this picture - isn't it teeny?!
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MissSherry

MissSherry, I know you raise the RSPs, but do the wild cherry cuttings hold up well? I know you use the florist thingamagiggees to put your cuttings in, but I just wondered if they did well. It would seem they would, but just curious.

Susan

Yes, cherry holds up well, Susan, provided you cut down farther on the stem, several leaves down, and put the whole stem in the water pick. I usually put the stem in a little plastic leftovers container with a hole in it, since it takes a lot of water to keep a whole stem hydrated.
MissSherry

Dang...I'm going to have to work on my photo skills...you're WAY beyond me!

Good work!

And yes, he's very cute. :)

It takes them a while to grow big enough that you can see them without a magnifying glass! They're still tiny, but the older ones have finally gotten their little horns - later on, the horns will grow much longer!
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MissSherry