another butterfly question

14 years ago

So I was avoiding the heat by trying to figure out if the swarm of butterflies on the goldendewdrop are viceroys, queens, soldiers or monarchs. My conclusion is none of the above. They're Gulf Fritillaries. Which led me to a site that had pics of GF caterpillars. Something absolutely identical to those spiny orange little guys invaded (and defoliated) my desert rose. But the info says they only eat native passion flower vines.

Is there another butterfly whose caterpillar looks like that? Or are they maybe less discriminating than wikipedia claims? The hardy little desert rose recovered.

(My golden dewdrop is dripping purple flowers, and butterflies, prompting all these questions. I've also seen a zebra longwing and a Florida white, lots of casius and sulfur and some sort of swallowtail I have yet to identify. And I found a chrysallis of something on my parsley. He can have it. I never liked parsely.)

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Comments (9)

ladywingr
14 years ago
Frits are apparently very opportunistic eaters. Roses are one of their alternate foods as is some sort of weedy vine in the neighbor's yard. These vines are less than 3" long and are covered with cats. We watched a momma lay even more eggs in the area on grass blades near the weeds.
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natives_and_veggies
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks ladywingr. That makes a lot of sense because they are by far the most common butterfly in my yard but I don't have a passion flower and I haven't seen any in my neighbors' yards.
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tomncath
14 years ago
...invaded (and defoliated) my desert rose.

Huh? Desert Roses are not roses, and although they have a sap poisonous, kind of like milkweed, I've never heard of cats defoliating a Desert Rose. Something new to learn every day....

Tom
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babalu_aye
14 years ago
The ones that ate your desert rose were probably caterpillars of the oleander moth. They look very similar to gulf frit cats. I've never seen them on desert roses, but I've had them on plumeria and (of course) oleander, both of which have poisonous sap.

John
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User
14 years ago
our desert rose has had them a couple of times. it is the oleader moth,
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mboston_gw
14 years ago
If you look at the spines, the Olender Moth spines are not single ones but are more bushy. That is the definite way to tell the difference. I found them once on my Mandavilla. Gulf Frit cats only use the Passionvines, they love native Suberosa, Maypops, Incense, and Lady Margaret.
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writersblock (9b/10a)
14 years ago
and they're chomping the heck out of my Inspiration at the moment.
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natives_and_veggies
Original Author
14 years ago
oh well, I fear you're all correct. Although that looks like a pretty showy moth. And the desert rose didn't seem to mind much. They completely swarmed over it and defoliated it overnight and it just put out new leaves as if nothing had happened.
wonder who has passion vines around here. Someone must because I have more gulf frits than any other kind of butterfly (well, the little blue ones might outnumber them, but pound for pound, I've got more gulf frits.)
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sharbear50
14 years ago
Babalue_aye, I had Oleanders at my last house and couldn't keep them from being eaten down to nothing...so now I don't have Oleanders. Funny I don't have any plants that are supposed to be "butterfly attractors" but still see lots of butterflies. :)
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