This girl wanted badly to get out, I didn't know, and I think that's what attracted the PL's in the first place that day. That's the day I saw a PL trying to fly with a Monarch two times, I think they were influenced by the Monarch 'in distress' in the enclosure. The top of the enclosure is the same aluminum screening as the sides and is see-through like the sides. I let her out after taking photos. I put this enclosure together quickly after my first pupae was killed by a wasp in mid-pupation. I DON'T recommend putting the metal stakes on the inside of the screening as I did. I'll put the stakes on the outside of the mesh next year. The caterpillars like to hang from the metal stakes for some reason, and I had to keep shade over the rails all during the hot summer or they would have fried from the heat of the hot metal.

Congratulations! I think it would be better to feed them whatever weed they were eating. American ladies like cudweed and closely related plants. Painted ladies could be fed sunflower leaves - maybe they're painted ladies? Sherry

iamabirdnut, Since you are in an area that experiences extreme heat during the summer, you might try growing some of the host plants in an area that gets some dappled sunlight part of the day, rather than full sunlight all day long. Even though many of the plants I've planted say full sun, I've found that many of them do much better for me if given a break from our summer sun. I live in North Little Rock, AR but was raised in OKC so I'm quite familiar with the extreme summer weather in your area. Another suggestion, if you don't already mulch, is to provide a deep mulch, which will help keep the roots cooler so the plants don't become so heat stressed. I have started Pearly Everlasting seed this summer but the seedlings are small and still in their germination pots. It was so hot this year, I just didn't want to take a chance in planting them in the garden until we had cooler daytime temps, plus, for me, they seem to be slow growers this first season. Next year I will know more about how they perform here and will be sure to post my results. Pearly Everlasting seedlings started 5-15-2011; pretty pitiful but still alive after our many 100+degree days. American Lady (I think) in my garden; this is what prompted me to plant the Pearly Everlasting seed. ~Mary

Whoo - hoo! Yep - does look like an AL nest to me, MissSherry. I'm seeing a lot of them here right now, so you may get more of them. Is your gnaphalium pennsylvanica also referred to as "cudweed"? I don't know if mine will come back or not, since the mowers got to mine that sprouted without any effort on my part. Must have dropped some seed I had. Right now, I don't have any gnaphalium. I'm like Sandy. Had a lot of nests in spring, but never saw them make it to maturity. Think something must have gotten them, but don't know what. Grasshoppers are a real problem for me this year, and don't know if they eat the foliage, and consume the caterpillars incidentally. They are on their way toward you, though! Susan