I don't know what it is with RAs - I see them regularly around here, but they've never laid eggs on my false nettles. The cats I raised came from eggs that Edith at Shady Oak Butterfly Farm sent me. I know that they don't lay large numbers of egs at any one place, but you'd still think I'd get a few here! I've seen false nettles growing wild here, so I guess there's someplace else where they prefer to lay eggs - maybe one day they'll use ours, Susan!
MissSherry

Same for me, MissSherry. The only RAs I have had came from the lady I purchased my FN from last year. This year, there weren't any on the plants I purchased, so I'm flying solo - LOL! But, they also purportedly lay eggs on Golden Hops, too.

Guess we'll just have to "pay our dues", huh?

Susan

I've seen this behavior with RA's and other species.The females will even land on a hostplant and "pretend" to lay an egg.Not sure what it means.Maybe they haven't mated yet,or maybe they're just "practicing." It's also possible they have no more eggs to lay and are just enjoying their "retirement."

Thanks, Cecropia, that's kind of what I was thinking. Just call my garden the "Old Butts Home".....LOL!

Susan

For the second evening in a row, a RA has visited my garden when I was out picking blueberries - I got a picture of it, but it wasn't very good. RAs come out around here in the late evening, after the other butterflies have called it a day - they're a different sort of butterfly in a lot of ways!
MissSherry

Well, I guess I need to pursue a degree in Butterfly Behavior! They sure fool ya sometimes. I usually see the RAs here about mid-day, MissSherry, and sometimes earlier. They do like the rotten bananas, though.

I had to go to the store to buy more this morning and they were out! The guy said he put out 100 black bananas yesterday and they were all gone by the time the store closed. I know people use them to make banana bread (YUCK!), but darn it, I need them for the butterflies. Can't they understand?

Susan

This is the third spring I've had my current house. Last two years, my stinging nettles have been totally ignored by RAs. This year has been a whole different story. My plants are covered with folded leaves. I've brought in any wandering last instars for their own protection (darn paper wasps). I'm starting to wonder if they will be any leaves left for Question Marks later this year.

KC

Congratulations, KC!
That gives me hope that one day they'll lay their eggs on some of mine - I keep planting more and more!
MissSherry

Question Marks will use a lot of different plants, too, including Elm, Hops, Hackberry, and nettles. So if the nettles are gone, they could use one of the others.

Congrats on your RAs!

Susan

Kc,I've noticed the same thing here in NE OH.Last year there were very few RA's,but this year there are cats on every nettle! It's probably just a natural cycle,and maybe next year will be more "average."

A lot of RA cats I've collected in the wild have been parasitized,which is kind of surprising because they hide inside the floded leaves most of the time.