Comments for
Catepillar-yellow and black (American lady butterfly caterpillar)

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American lady butterfly caterpillar
by: Moni

Lars
Glad to hear you let them finish their life cycle.
Thanks.
Just a note that there are some equally cool moths! The large silkmoths are beautiful, the sphinx moths are fun to watch as they fly around like hummingbirds at dusk, the tiger moths that come from the woolly worms we all enjoyed as children....etc, etc, etc !
now I know
by: lars

yahooo...... I also have a horde of these caterpillars on my licorice plant and was ready to get rid or them, not knowing what they were going to become , I'm not a moth fan. So I will let them eat away and soon fly away thanks for the picture to slove my caterpillare mystry.
American Lady butterfly caterpillar
by: Moni

Brandon
The caterpillar of the American lady butterfly does not to my knowledge glow in the dark. However there are insects that if you would shine a black light on them they might glow...just like some of our fabrics do...like white shirts for instance. It would be because of their chemistry and coloration.
glow in the dark?
by: brandon

does it glow in the dark. i have footage pf one that really glows..its blows my mind. im tryin to see if it has been seen before
Food
by: Shannon

I think they should be ok. I started a butterfly garden last year and have quite a few established flower gardens around the house and yard.
American lady butterfly caterpillar
by: Moni

Great!
Do you have flowers that the butterflies will get nectar from?
Thank you!
by: Shannon

I checked out your link and that is definitely it! I'm so excited to watch this tranformation.

Thanks again for the help.
American lady butterfly caterpillar
by: Moni

Shannon,
It looks like you have an American lady butterfly caterpillar. The larva like to feed on plants in the aster family as well as Everlastings(your licorice plant :-) ). You are fortunate to be growing one of the host plants for the caterpillar stage of that beautiful butterfly. It would be great if you can let them feed and turn into butterflies.
The plants are tough, strong growers so it will grow out of some feeding in no time as long as there is some foliage left.
It is not always easy to let our plants get some damage, but on the other hand if you let them have a little of the plant, the plant will be bushier, you will have beautiful butterflies to watch, and the life cycle of nature is happening in your garden. What a gem!
Here is a site to see other caterpillars like yours and some info. Enjoy watching nature develop in your own yard!!
http://bugguide.net/node/view/488

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