Yes, Sandy, pipevine swallowtail cats are messy, and they have that odor (their poop) that's unique to them. When each one empties its bowels before pupating, I just HAVE to clean out the cage, even if I just did it! But they're fun, very active - I love those 'tentacles' or whatever they are - and they're such gorgeous butterflies! I also saw tiger swallowtails, palamedes swallowtails, spicebush swallowtails, lots of different types of skippers including some cute common checkered skippers, sleepy oranges and cloudless sulphurs, a giant swallowtail, and a few gulf frits. This isn't the peak of the butterfly season, however. The peak is usually in October. By the way, you probably don't remember it, but last year I got a picture of a southern pearly eye close to the house. I dug up a small roadside cane - pearly eye host plant - and planted in the most suitable spot on my property. This year has been dry, and I've forgotten to water it when I should have, so I thought it would die, but it hasn't, it's even growing a little. The recent rains probably helped. One day, I'd love to raise some pearly eyes. If this cane will continue to grow and spread, that might happen. Sherry

I was gathering food and found 4 more GF cats, so I have 6 now. The other 7 have all pupated. I was changing out the food in the container. For now, I have both the GFs and VFs in the same container. I was being careful to move the GF cats to the new food, when I noticed the smaller, teen-nine-neensy caterpillar on a tendril. I had to look twice, and then three, four, and five more times before I finally was able to ascertain that it was, indeed, a VF cat. It looked like a tiny little scratche on the tendril at first, and not like a caterpillar. I feel like first time fathers must feel when they initially hold their infants - like I was going to break them or something dire. These cats are soooooo much tinier than the GF cats! I carefully started to go thru the old food and realized I must be missing some of them, and upon closer inspection, I was. They are so tiny, tiny, tiny! I found a couple more on tendrils (the eggs were not laid on tendrils, so they had crawled onto them), and they are almost IMPOSSIBLE to see! No longer trusting my eye - my very old eyes at that - I put all of the food, old and new, back into the container for fear I would be missing some of the hatchlings. There's not much frass at this stage and if there is, it is microscopic! I will keep adding new food, but will wait a couple days until I can see them better (I hope) before I clear out the container......very carefully. I don't know what else to do at this point. My only concern is whether the GFs will eat the VFs. If you think so, I can at least go and move the GF cats to another container. They are small, but still so much bigger than the VFs. Don't think I've ever dealt with such tiny little babies as these VFs! Susan

Yes, the number of prolegs are an identifying feature, taz, but most folks don't know that term. You might want to explain it to someone needing an ID. Proper ID is so important. I jumped to the conclusion that her critters are sawfly larvae because of the description of the damage ( typical for this sawfly), because of the species of plant (if you have hollyhock or other members of the mallow family, you'll often be plagued by this insect, and by nancy's use of plural when mentioning the 'worms'. Sawfly larvae are never lonely for each others' company. Add to that your explanation of the proleg feature, and there's not much chance of a missed ID! Here is a link that might be useful: Hibiscus (hollyhock) sawfly larvae on Google

To those I have made pre-trades with, or anyone who has asked for one, please note. I think I remember most of them, but, I'VE HAD A MAJOR EMAIL CRASH, so please email with a reminder? Email is working fine now, just can not find previous emails yet. (Still getting used to a new computer!) This will be my FINAL Updated List. :o) Have These Plants For Trade: Aloe Vera, possibly variegated Alstromeria psittacinaa 'Parrot Lily', red/green Amaranthus 'Love Lies Bleeding' Aptenia cordifolia 'Baby Sun Rose' with pink blooms Bromelaids, Assorted, shade plants Caesalpinia 'Desert Bird of Paradise' Callisia fragrans, large leaf wandering jew relative Cannas (Tall green leaf w/orange flowers, Med green leaf, w/yellow speckled orange/red flowers, Short green leaf, w/red flowers 'Cannon Shot') Clerodendrum bungei, shade plant' Clivia miniata "Kaffir or Natal Lily" (Special Trade) Ferns (Sword & ruffled 'Ladies Petticoat') Four O'Clocks, pink Ghost Plant, succulent with white leaves Giant Bird of Paradise, white blooms Helianthus maximilianii 'Perennial Sunflower' Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, red blooms Kalanchoe tubiflora 'Mother of Thousands' red Liriope 'Big Blue' Monkey Grass Pencil Cactus Red Bird Cactus Root Beer Plant, shade plant Ruellia Tall blue/purple Sedum 'Autumn Joy', small fast grower Spotted Squill, scilla violacea, 'Cape Lily' Sweet Autumn Clematis Vine Tulbaghia violacea 'Society Garlic' Variegated Aspidistra (Special Trade) Variegated Vinca Minor Periwinkle Would Like These Plants: Any plants with strong Lemon Fragrance, except basil Canna, pink flowering Clerodendrum fragrans, aka C. chinense, REALLY WANT Kalanchoe luciae 'Flap Jack Cactus' Maidenhair Fern Patchouli, Pogostemon, REALLY WANT Pineapple Sage Roses, any rooted, no climbers Russian Sage, Perovskia Strawberry Begonia Stevia, REALLY NEED, would even take seeds. Succulents for planting in a strawberry jar, especially 'Jellybeans' Water Lily, any color miniature, REALLY WANT Would Like Seeds For These: Cosmos, Pink/Purples Cypress Vine, White or Pink Lime Basil