Butterfly and plant I.D. needed please

13 years ago

Saw this tiny guy on some weeds at my house, I've never seen one before:

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And I think this is milkweed, but I really don't know. Can someone tell me? =)

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Thanks!!

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Comments (7)

susanlynne48
13 years ago
Common Checkered Skipper, Pyrgus communis. I don't think there is anything "common" about them, and that they are one of the prettiest skippers. Actually, I think it is called "Common" because it is one of the most often seen. I don't see them often in my garden at all, and love it when I do.

The milkweed looks like Common Milkweed, or Asclepias syriaca. Could be one of the other broadleaf milkweeds, but since it is more common than other milkweeds, I'm gonna go with that until someone has a better idea.

Susan
runmede
13 years ago
I'd say it is Common Milkweed.

I plant Hollyhocks for the Common Checkered Skipper. I saw one yesterday. They use several plants in the Malva family, too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Monarch Watch Photo Guide for Milkweed
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This is a sunflower family plant along the lines of something like Ageratina. The sunflower family is huge with many genera and tens of thousands of species, so there might be several possible genera this could belong to. If you bought it somewhere then going back to the source may be the best way to get a lead on the name. Otherwise if it seems certain it has well known medicinal uses the same kind might be present in a labeled collection of herbal and medicinal plants somewhere in your area, such as at a botanic garden or university.
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bandjzmom
13 years ago
Pretty little Skipper! Wow..NICE milkweed plants! Looks like some little caterpillar has been munching on them. They tend to eat the leaf from the outside edge towards the center. I'd be searching for Monarch cats!
jlk7807
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks guys!!! I knew it was milkweed! =D

And bandjzmom, I was looking for some for about an hour! I couldn't find a single Monarch cat. =( I probably have AT LEAST 12 plants in my yard, and some are quite tall. Idk why I couldn't find any...maybe I wasn't looking in the right spots?
But..I'm gonna re-check them today! =)

And thanks again everyone for answering!
jlk7807
Original Author
13 years ago
Also, can I transplant milkweed?
Those plants are all in the middle of a bunch of weeds along our fence that we want to cut down...but I definitely don't wanna cut down the milkweed!
bandjzmom
13 years ago
The milkweed will come back where it is, and its seed also blows all around the town! I'd bet you have had Monarch cats on the plants and they are now just gone. Could have had some Milkweed Tussock Moths on there too, but the plants don't seem to be in the condition mine were when the moth cats left them. Monarch cats are voracious little things. Can never have too much milkweed as far as I am concerned. :o) Mine have eaten just about every inch of milkweed that I have in my yard now.
jlk7807
Original Author
13 years ago
Yeah thats true, they're probably just gone now. =(
And yep, you can never have too much, and I've got tons!
I can't wait till next year, hopefully I'll get lucky and find some!

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Butterfly and plant I.D. needed please

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susanlynne48

runmede

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Butterfly and plant I.D. needed please

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