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Florida Gardening

plant, moth, & cat id needed

13 years ago

I added this plant to my garden a month or so ago but now I can't remember what it is. All I can remember that it is sun loving and drought tolerant. Can anyone id it?

Last week my nephew found this moth hanging onto a canna leaf in my parents garden. It was laying eggs on a leaf below it and was very docile to the point that I was able to touch it. I wasn't able to find it in my books though and am hoping someone here might know what it is.

And here's a picture of the eggs.

Late yesterday when I was walking around the garden I found this catepillar munching on a beautyberry bush and was wondering what it was. I'm guessing from it's size that it's probably going to turn into a large moth.

Kara

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Comments (6)

crueltyfre
13 years ago
I have no answers on any of them, but GW has an insect id forum you might try.
Love the pond pics!
Lori

Here is a link that might be useful: Insect forum
gatormomx2
13 years ago
The first one is Regal Moth, Citheronia regalis .
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in209

The last caterpillar is the dreaded green hornworm .

Hornworms are green caterpillars with white diagonal markings on their sides. The tomato hornworm larva has eight L-shaped stripes, each hooking backward, while the tobacco hornworm has seven oblique stripes that do not turn backward. The tomato hornworm usually has a black "horn" at the rear while the tobacco hornworm has a red horn. The horn is prominent from the time the larva hatches from the egg. Hornworms reach a length of 3" to 4" in three to four weeks. They are voracious feeders on tomatoes, tobacco, eggplants, peppers and weeds of the nightshade family.

This should state they are voracious eaters of anything they can get !! Highly destructive .

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in158

Here is a link that might be useful: Hornworm
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They're either white lined sphinx moth caterpillars or banded sphinx moth cats. Both these type sphinx moths use primroses, and their cats are extremely variable and similar looking. I notice that yours all look a little different from each other, and they undoubtedly came from the same mother. Maybe somebody else will know which type they are, but if they don't, you can Google white lined sphinx moth/hyles lineata caterpillar and banded sphinx moth/eumorpha fasciata caterpillar and see what you think. The adults look similar, too! MissSherry
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Yes they are prickly! I managed to climb a few of the Pine trees near me to look for cats, only when I got to the ground I was cut up, and with no cats. I love climbing trees though, so even though it cuts me up, I'm still going to look! I might get some eggs from Bill Oehlke soon to. I never heard of them on Austrian Pine but I'm sure they will eat it, like any other Pine, plus they are native to OK so if you dont find any on your trees, you could buy some eggs, test them out on your pine, and if theyll eat it get some more and start a family in your area. They are beautiful. Good luck S.B.
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Interestingly, I just came across one of these today, but didn't get a photo. It moved quickly and heavily, almost like a grasshopper. Thanks for the post and reply.
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kgardens
13 years ago
I think your plant is lysimachia procumbens 'golden globes'. I have a clump that lives in dappled shade and blooms profusely. It seems to rest between flushes of blooms but maybe that's because of the shade.
ladywingr
13 years ago
Just wait til the eggs from the moth hatch - the caterpillars are something to see!!

(Look up "Hickory Horned Devil")
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
13 years ago
Definitely looks like a tobacco hornworm - adult is a sphinx moth. I think they're really only a scourge if you have veggies like tomato & pepper - which they WILL destroy.

That orange moth is a beauty!
KaraLynn
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you for all the information. I wouldn't have thought that a caterpillar that likes to eat tomato and pepper plants would be found munching on a beauty berry bush. Not that I mind that it was eating that bush, much better that then my neighbors veggies!

So that's what a hickory horned devil turns into! The moth is just as pretty and colorful as the caterpillar. The first time I saw a horned devil I thought it looked like a miniture asian dragon. I think I'll pin the canna leaf that the eggs are on to my seet gum tree so that they'll be closer to their food source.

Thanks for the ID on the plant as well, that's exactly what it is. It's in a part of my garden that is full sun all day and barely gets hit by the irrigation system and it's still doing great.

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