Okay, let's celebrate! The official 2011 Butterfly season is now underway. It always happens when we get the first post that you have RSPs, MissSherry! Woo-hoo!

Congrats, congrats! I sure wish I got them, but I have only ever seen one in my life and that was last year.

Susan

Congrats, Miss Sherry. Love the RSPs, so beautiful. Have fun raising them.

I will, Sandy!

Susan, I started not to post about the RSPs, because I do this every year. I thought y'all would all be rolling your eyes in your head, thinking, well, so what else is new? MissSherry's posting about her first RSPs, yawn, but then, I like traditions, so, here's the annual posting - hehehe!!

One reason I decided to bring them in is that I can't find the little palamedes swallowtail cat, and most of the little sulphurs I recently brought in to raise were parasitized. I've only got one cloudless sulphur chrysalid and one sleepy orange. The latest batch appear dead, and they have those tiny little white cocoons attached to them. They all had a black spot or hole, which appears to be the entry point for the eggs from the predator. I also found my first dead red admiral cat with the cocoon - how I hate those parasites!
As I was cutting off the branches the RSPs were on, a little wasp or something buzzed around - I hope these haven't been parasitized! That's one reason I went on and got some eggs. There are more eggs still out there - I may get them tomorrow.

On a happier note, I've got 7 healthy red admiral chrysalides - 'can't wait for them to emerge! There are still plenty of RA cats outside, and I may bring them in, too.

Sherry

Wow. Congrats to you Sherry!!! You sure do seem to be in full swing with your season!! Hey, which cherries will the RSP's use? Is it only the Wild Black Cherries? I see them in the summertime hovering around my two little Weeping Cherry trees, and I have a small Western Sand Cherry in the yard too. I was just wondering.~~Angie

Angie, RSPs aren't too specific - they might use most any Prunus/plum/cherry - they'll also use Malus/apple/crabapple and willows.
I don't know specifically about weeping cherries or western sand cherries, but don't be surprised if you find cats on them!
Sherry

Interesting. I have a Montmorency cherry tree. I wonder if they'll use it. Not that I expect them RSPs, since they seem to like wooded areas, and the nearest extensively wooded area near me is a few miles away. Makes me wonder if other leps will use it, too. I guess I'll have to wait and see!

Thanks Sherry!!! Oh yay!!!! I just planted a little Callaway Crabapple for the Cedar Waxwings, and now maybe the RSP's will use it too. I am excited now. I had seen them hovering around the small Weeping Cherries (which do bear fruit BTW) but never really seriously investigated the leaves because I didn't really think that they would use them.~~Angie

Angie, investigate, investigate, I bet you have some!

MissSherry, have you always found some of your cats to be parasitized? Just seems like it is getting worse over the last few years than it used to be.

I don't know if it has been the onset of early heat this year or not, but the big wasps have been out in greater numbers in my yard, too. Not the parasitizing ones, but the ones who like to snatch caterpillars off the plants to feed to their young. Grrrrrr! They are all over patrolling my plants inside and out, and I wish there were something I could do to get rid of them. Only thing I can do is bring in the eggs and babies so far.

Susan

Susan, red admirals have always been parasitized heavily by some type of braconid wasp, I guess it is. KC got a picture of one of these wasps one time, they're very tiny, and they inject the eggs into the cats when they're VERY young.
I've never found these wasp cocoons on sulphur cats - this is a first! I don't know what got my little palamedes, but since it's completely gone, I assume it was the type of wasp that takes the cat away or a bug/spider that eats the cat right there on the bush. I don't know if the predators have gotten worse, or if I've just gotten lazier about bringing them in quickly - I need to get on it!
Sherry

Yes, the big wasps just pick them up and carry them off. I've seen that numerous times, usually generalist moth cats that I don't bring in. It always reminds me that I need to be quick about collecting the tiny caterpillars.

Susan

Two of the oldest red-spotted purple cats are pupating now, one in a strange spot near the bottom of the cage and one on a wild black cherry leaf -
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I've still got a lot of little ones in another cage, plus there are lots of them outside, including some on one of the willows. So far, this is a big year for RSPs!
Sherry