Mary, is there a good website for identifying caterpillars?

I haven't looked for a website yet--my book skills are better than my computer skills :0). I use BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS (A Golden Guide) from the library. It costs about $7-used- on Amazon inc shipping. Mary

Yardmom--quite inadvertently today, I did discover a site for B's and m's. It is www.butterflies and moths.org. (the same title as the book--I must remember that trick. Mary

I'm all for saving butterflies! I am also all for saving the "tomato hornworms". A lot of people kill these, and I use to too. I thought they were just a garden pest that was eating tomatoes. UNTIL I found out that they turn into these gorgeous sphinx moths, that look like little hummingbirds. They come out at night and are quite large and colorful.

Okay, this is going to be hard to believe, but this is a picture of my very ownTiger Swallowtail. If you look back at the first picture, that was her in her previous life. I had fed, photographed and watched over her until one day she vanished from my dill patch. I have been haunting my garden everyday since then, and lo and behold she showed up today. The reason I know she is my butterfly is because I have had a total of one Monarch in my garden all summer. And since I had raised her as a caterpillar, I know this one sole Swallowtail had to have hatched in my garden. I feel as successful as if I had bore another child! My one fear is where on earth is she going to find a mate this year????????? So, watching over the larva does indeed work!

Nancy--I never killed a tomato hornworm, but I used to think they were gross--not anymore! Mary

Mary... I raised tomato hornworms for 2 years. I cut the stems off that had the "worms" on and put them in large jars. I gave them fresh leaves everyday. When they stop eating and start crawling around the bottom of the jar they are ready to go in dirt. I then would take them out and put them in a pot of dirt and they go underground. In spring they wake up and emerge as the sphinx moths. I love these things! I think they are pretty rare because most people kill them. I will never kill another one. I will just plant an extra tomato plant. You could put this plant away from the rest of your crop and call it the "host plant". Transfer all the worms you find to that plant. Do not pick them off, just cut the stem or leaf they are on and take it to your host plant. You don't have to put them in jars, just leave them in the garden and they will go down in the dirt by the plant. I was just worried that my hubby would roto till the next spring before they emerged and kill them. This was fun to do, basically just like raising butterflies.

NANCY--Wow I'm really impressed that you would know how to care for a tomato hornworm. And now knowing that they pupate in the ground, I can see why many of them wouldn't survive spring plowing. I have been haunting my 2 tomato plants for them, but no luck so far. I don't know how or where a Swallowtail pupates, so I haven't tried to "shelter" them. A Monarch is the easiest as it will only eat milkweed and pupate on any vertical stick or the top of a jar. Mary

My daughter lives up north,she has a friend who has a 7 year old daughter,who last year,on her own, raised and released over 100 Monarchs,she can tell you all you need to know about butterflies,what they like to eat and what their hosta plant should be---7 years old!--.
How great is that,she knows way more than me, but i am learning, so,put me on that list also,oh,did i mention i started a B.garden this year?

Nancy,you are truley Gods gift to gardening in every way,from coon,deer,birdes,to butterflies and mothes,add your love of hosta and gardening,and you represent what we all should be.Thank you for being you.:0)

Carol

Here's a good site for id'ing bugs, birds, whatever.
Pam

Here is a link that might be useful: enature.com

Oh Man,I am loosing it big time,
Did you notice what i said?

-------"What they like to eat and what their HOSTA plant should be"

What i meant to say--was--what their Host,plant should be.ha ha

I guess none of you cought that either,are we all only seeing the word-Hosta--lol,lol,lol

Carol

PAM --Thank you for that web address--great site which I will use!
CAROL--Too too funny about the larva's Hosta plant. I hesitated to put butterflies into the Hosta forum, but you made it quite legal there for a short time. LOL. Where "up north" does your daughter live? I taught second graders, and we raised Monarch and Painted Lady larva, so I know how knowledgable 7 year olds can get about things that really interest them. It was THE perfect teaching age, and I know that little girl is really loving and learning such a valuable skill. Now I'm going outside to see if I can spot any of those catepillars on my Hosta. LOL still. Mary

Mary... I learned a lot from the Butterfly Forum. Several years ago there was quite a few posts about the Tomato Hornworm rescue. Before reading them, I had no idea these ugly green worms that I thought were pests, could turn into something so beautiful and amazing. We all learn so much from these garden forums. It's also lots of fun. I see nothing wrong with occasionally getting on another subject on the hosta forum. Besides, in nature it all connects. We need the butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds to pollenate the hosta flowers to make seeds for "new" hostas!
Carol...you're so sweet, no wonder I like you so much. Did you let it slip out that you bought "more" hostas on friday?!

Nancy--just this morning it dawned on me that there had to be a butterfly forum. Wow, they do have a lot of info on there, and I found out how poisonous milkweed and Rue can be. Yesterday I learned Virginia Creeper could also cause severe rashes. I guess I've just been a lucky gardener all these many years as I've never had any problems except for burning weed which zaps me every so often. I wonder if there is a forum for poisonous plants??? Mary

Nancy-shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhfingerstolips