If you have plants outside in the southeast, time to start inspecting for armyworm damage. I've found them eating various plants the past few yrs. I've seen this caterpillar eating MANY diff kinds of plants, both potted tropical succulents and temperate yard plants. Today it was Kalanchoe blossfeldiana.

Armyworms may be in other areas, I didn't research that. And not 100% sure of the ID of armyworm. A search for butterflies that would use Kalanchoe as host turned up no results, and it looks like armyworm, but there could be another one that looks similar enough to fool me. Help welcome if wrong!


Please try to ID caterpillars before destroying. Under the umbrella of cacti/succulents, I'm not familiar with any "real butterflies" that would use any of these plants as host for caterpillars, but it's probably possible. If one does happen to find a butterfly caterpillar munching on a plant one is not willing to donate to being a meal, there's probably another ground plant nearby to which it could be moved. Any info about temperate butterflies that might use tropical succulents as hosts would also be much appreciated!

Thanks for the warning about the armyworm. I've really never heard of it. I'm new to succulents and truthfully outdoor gardening and need all the advise I can get to keep my plants thriving. I just purchased/rescued 3 of those kalanchoes. WM had them marked down; still in its wrapper and sleeve. They had watered them and the plants were swimming in it. Most of the blooms had already faded, but I could tell what color they were. I got one each of the orange, light red and purple ones. When I repotted them, the plants were healthy and in groups of 3. I just added fresh well draining soil and placed them back in the same pot, but spaced further apart. When my sister and girlfriends come by, I'll have to share them. Ahh, Tiffany, do I want to know what those black blobs are on your plant?

So far, no caterpillars from butterflies or moths attacks my succulents. But, my greatest enemy were the snails..sneaky monsters! They used to favor soft leaved new growth of my other regular plants but this past Fall and Winter, they have learned to attack my euphorbias, plumerias and other smaller succulents. If not for the cacti's spines pretty sure they would have devoured it too. Thankfully these succulents are recovering now slowly and being dry weather, the slimy monsters are away.

Deborah, that's how I noticed this, that's caterpillar poo. So sweet of you to share such fun plants!

I didn't know snails could live where you are, Tarev! Good luck & TY for the info!

Yuck, that's what I thought. I've got a jungle in my back growing area, as I've been finding good bargains on plants. I've got to get some combo pots put together. With our wet climate, I have to get my plants out of that peaty mush immediately. And try not to forget to water a small pot. It will become hard as a brick. I need an extra pair of hands. It's hard when you garden alone.

Tiffany, thanks for asking people to ID their caterpillars and consider NOT killing them. I have some "sacrifice" plants that I relocate caterpillars to if they are on something I can't bear to see chewed on.

My passion flower vine is covered in Gulf Fritillary caterpillars, and they are devouring it. But it comes back even stronger after they leave. Same with the milkweed and the monarch caterpillars.

There may be some symbiotic thing going on there, possibly!

I think too many insects die because people deem them pests, but they make the world go 'round.

It's just unfortunate they choose to live in our homes with us or eat our plants, but with the butterly population seemingly in decline, relocation is better than killing (well, even if the butterfly population wasn't in decline). I remember seeing Monarchs and Swallowtails all over the place as a kid, nowadays, any butterfly is a rare sight.

Hubby has a friend who killed an Orb weaver spider and posts about it on Facebook. He got quite the comments after asking what it was, that it was a harmless spider and he should have left it alone. His response? "Well, it didn't have to make a web on my fence."

I'm the type of person who leaves the spiders alone in our apartment, until they get too large for comfort and they're relocated outside. Living with my folks, if I spotted a snake, relocated it as well. I can't say the same for others I know, they'd kill a Garter snake on sight.

Planto

It is good to hear about your practices, Planto. I always find with patience, many insects will be regulated by other insects in my garden. It's difficult to watch aphids suck on tender plants, but with patience, you get to see the ladybugs come and devour them. Then you get to see the ladybug larva crawling around everywhere. Then you see MORE ladybugs.

No one should EVER kill a snake. They are vital to environmental balance. It is not the snake's fault that someone fears it, and it shouldn't have to die because of someone's irrational fear.

My Mother-in-law had a patch of Rudbeckia in her yard COVERED (I've never seen so many in my life) with aphids. She said the ladybugs had come and gone (I'm sure they were stuffed), but I'm sure they left their offspring behind. Everything has a purpose, even if we see it as a pest. Where there's a pest, there's a predator to eat them (as you said)!

It is a shame some people don't feel they can live harmoniously with insects/creatures... I don't remember what the current reason behind the honey bee population decline is, but I swear I read at some point it was due to humans intervening somehow. We have a tendency to do more harm than good.

Planto

We are the prime suspect in many of the factors behind the honeybee decline. All we can do is try to feed them responsibly in our own little slices of organic, pesticide free gardens!

Plantomaniac08 said:

I think too many insects die because people deem them pests, but they make the world go 'round.

It's just unfortunate they choose to live in our homes with us or eat our plants, but with the butterly population seemingly in decline, relocation is better than killing (well, even if the butterfly population wasn't in decline). I remember seeing Monarchs and Swallowtails all over the place as a kid, nowadays, any butterfly is a rare sight.

Hubby has a friend who killed an Orb weaver spider and posts about it on Facebook. He got quite the comments after asking what it was, that it was a harmless spider and he should have left it alone. His response? "Well, it didn't have to make a web on my fence."

I'm the type of person who leaves the spiders alone in our apartment, until they get too large for comfort and they're relocated outside. Living with my folks, if I spotted a snake, relocated it as well. I can't say the same for others I know, they'd kill a Garter snake on sight.

Planto

. I love spiders! Thank you for not killing them

I caught another armyworm munching away on the center of the rosette of one of my newest plants. Glad I caught it when I did, the damage could have been much worse on such a tiny plant.

Something got my succulent a few nights ago and the first night I just brushed it off. Like okay maybe like a bird or wild mouse or something tried it and didn't like it yk. Like anything that could possibly be in the backyard. And then second night more of my succulent leaves were eaten. And I usually check at night, so I go out this morning. I find this little guy sleep in my succulent looking like he took a nap after lunch. I safely removed him from my succulent and placed him in the grass. I have no idea how he got in it because my succulent is in a box on a table 😂 it must be his favorite

I can't see it but I'm glad you were able to find & move the muncher.

My summer garden enemy this time are the voracious grasshoppers...they take a bite of the succulents leaving them like a half finished chicken drumstick

Some bug has recently discovered my Uncarinas and so far consumed about half their leaves. Not sure who it is but they left their calling card behind.

That looks like caterpillar damage, and caterpillar poo. The turds get bigger as the cat gets bigger.

That's a lot of poo.

I hate caterpillars, I have 1 pot of Jasmine that the caterpillars eat 90% of the flowers, every morning I tried my best to cut all the impacted buds and young leaves, but the speed of the insects laying eggs are faster than my speed to get rid of them
Luckily that they like the jasmine more than the succulents