Oh Edna, what a sweet person you are. I could have just cried when I read your post. I visited a beautiful butterfly house this summer in Ohio, and I will never look at weeds or plants or caterpillars the same. The butterflies were so breathtakingly beautiful..we moved very cautiously so as to not kill any. Now when I'm in the garden & one flits by me...It hypnotizes me with it's wonder. So thank you for your lovely prayer.

Carol

That's very cute!

When I caught one eating my datura, I realized that they can eat just about any nightshade. Now I move them to the nightshade plants in the far corner of the yard, and I have both happy tomato plants and happy moths!

My tomatoes reseeded like mad. I find them all over the garden and they even took to growing the the side walk cracks. I always have enough to share with nature and plenty to give away to friends.

Cute prayer, but I'm not kind to hornworms. Sorry!

Have you ever seen the moth, natal?

No, and it doesn't matter how gorgeous it might be. Homegrown tomatoes are gifts from God and I'm not letting a horny cat take that away from me. I'd be more than happy to send you all of mine. ;)

Say Ed, do you have pipevine growing for the Pipevine Swallowtail? I had one visit my garden this spring and I was smitten enough to plant pipevine, if I can find a place for it.

Steven

Sphinx moths are also "gifts from God"

Steven I have three native arstolochia californica (sierra giant pipe vine). They grow soooooo slooowww. I hope I don't see any PVS cat's on it yet otherwise they'd starve. The plant needs another year to become established. It has awesome flowers.

What I meant was I LOVE homegrown tomatoes. I'm not willing to let a hornworm rob me of that brief sweet treat. I also refuse to coexist with fireants and slugs. I share my yard with plenty of other creatures, but I do draw lines.

I had these guys all over my tomato plants last year. They had little soft white things on their backs that looked like rice. Very cool.
I didn't do anything to them, but they all disappeared. Wish I had seen the moths on the other end.

Those rice things are parasite's. A wasp lays eggs on the unsuspecting fellas and they infest the caterpillar body. The cat eventually dies.

Edna

Oh dear. Well, I guess the wasps have to live too, huh?
seriously cool looking cats though. HUGE.

I found one defoliating one of my favorite Iochroma's this year. I placed him in a large plastic container with about 4 inches of soil and selectively fed him Iochroma leaves. About a week later, he buried himself into the soil and pupated. I check his cage everyday but I suspect he'll winter over in pupate form. I think they are amazing looking and couldn't bear to hurt one. Besides that, they are nocturnal pollinators and I consider them beneficial.

Melanie

Melanie, should be interesting to see what emerges this coming spring :-)

3 of the Five-spotted hawkmoth cat's (aka:Hornworm) are getting close to pupating.

I have 20 Hummingbird Sphinx over wintering in tubs of dirt. They will emerge in the spring.

I linked a picture below of what a hormworm grows up to be....enjoy!

Edna

Here is a link that might be useful: Five-spotted hawkmoth (Hormworm)

Butterflies rest with their wings closed above their body
Moths..... rest with their wings open on either side of their body

Butterflies have antennae that look like long threads with a knot at the end
Moths...... have antennae that look like feathers

Butterflies are brightly coloured and very obvious
Moths..... have dull colors that camouflage (blend-in)

Butterflies are most active during the day
Moths..... are most active at night

Butterflies in the caterpillar stage, form a hardebed chrysalis
Moths..... in the caterpillar stage, make soft cocoons

Butterflies do not spin silk
Moths ......spin silk

that's all I know :)

Libby

Edna,
I looked up sphinx moths, but there are several kinds! which is the one you are raising? they are all beautiful.

I saw my first Wooly Bear this afternoon, the story goes, the narrower the brown band the more severe the winter is supposed to be, this guy's band was kind of narrow Ouch!!! I hope this is just a myth.

Annette

Here is a link that might be useful: Wooly Bears

I have 3 (from the picture above) of the Five-spotted hawkmoth, Manduca quinquemaculatus. Also known as the Hormworm.

I have 20 sleeping White-lined sphinx, Hyles lineata.

Annette, Wooley bears are adorable. Be careful as some sting. Let's hope we all have a mild wet winter.

Edna- cool picture! I find something like that every year on my dill. I don't recall the horn though... now I'm going to have to dig up some old pics to find out what visits my yard.

I keep finding Wooly bears all over but have never heard about the band-winter theory. I'll have to start paying attention to that!

Lucky you, Flutterby! That most likely was a black swallowtail caterpillar. They use dill as their host plant.

Edna

Edna,

Thanks for the ID, it's definitely a black swallowtail. Now I'm really glad I told DH to keep the dogs away from the dill while the cats were around :-)