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Butterfly Garden

Is this caterpillar about to croak?

gardenfanatic2003

13 years ago

Please pardon my ignorance. I'm new at this. A buckeye cat has been feasting on one of my snapdragons. When I went out just now to check on it, I found it laying on the ground at the base of the plant, not moving. I touched it, and it moved a little, so it's still alive. I'm thinking it's probably getting ready to croak for whatever reason. Am I right? What would cause this? I don't use herbicides or pesticides.

Deanna

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Comments (3)

bandjzmom
13 years ago
I don't know for sure what the little cat is going to do, but I do know that caterpillars will stop eating and remain still when they are getting ready to molt. Maybe he is just going to molt?
gardenfanatic2003
Original Author
13 years ago
Went out today to see if he was dead or alive, and he was gone. So I'm guessing he left to pupate. However, there was a little buckeye cat on the same plant, so I guess I get to watch that one grow.

I had 3 buckeye cats on another snapdragon, and they're all gone too. Hopefully to pupate, not because something ate them! All 4 cats were about the same size, so it makes sense that they're all pupating at about the same time. They were prolly all eggs laid on the same day by one mama. :-)

I wish I could find a cocoon!

Deanna
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bandjzmom
13 years ago
Deanna,
If you want to see the Buckeye chrysalis, then bring one or more of the little caterpillars into a container with their host plant and watch them eat, molt, and pupate. Gotta be sure to keep fresh host plant in there for them to eat and cover your plant water source so that they don't fall in and drown. I would adore seeing that!

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?what to do with this little guy?

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