I found what I think are eggs on a leaf of my Amaranth this morning.

I have been trying to figure out what this is a host of and am having no luck at all. So I'm here to ask the experts. Is this caterpillar eggs? Or some kind of poop?

Here is the "forest" of plants that I found this on. One leaf only has these black "spots"

After I discovered the black things, I did see what looked like a black swallowtail hovering around this plant.

Maybe TexasPuddyPrint (Cat) will have some idea what you have there. I have never seen anything like that.

Whatever it was, it's gone with a good rain. So at this point, it really doesn't matter.

Thanks though Sheila!

Janet

Yes, that looked like some kind of poop/frass from something. I haven't heard of any butterflies using the amaranths. I'm having trouble with a big outbreak of katydids...eating, eating, eating. Practically defoliated my Lacey Oak and damaged foliage on lots of things. And then there's the Swamp Milkweed Beetle larva eating my milkweed foliage. Killing all of those I find. Here's a Giant Swallowtail, looking good atop a Basketflower (the Basketflowers are all over my yard this year, BTW). I have released two of the GSTs, have two more chrysallises and two cats!

And this was also on the Basketflower...Black Swallowtail?
The BST cats have been here in large numbers for the last month or so.

And these Gulf Fritillaries were occupying themselves on a hot afternoon doing what GFs do....probably followed later on by egg-laying by the female.

Beautiful butterflies Linda. I haven't seen many here at home, but at the deer lease in Kountze, I've seen a multitude of them. There are lots of wildflowers at the lease.

Well, maybe that's it, then. I grow lots of wildflowers...and some native host plants, too!

What I'd like to find is those rolls of wildflowers that you just put down and let God take over. I'd love to have lots of pretty wildflowers at the entrance to our camp. We've got a well dug now and a hose hooked up, but it's not long enough to reach the entrance. And besides that, I'll be gone for a month and know that the guys won't bother with watering them. So I need something that produces a "big bang" for the buck and is self sufficient too. I used to see them at places like Walmart, but haven't seen them in a few years.

Well, you could get some mixed seeds of native wildflowers, put the seeds out this fall and then let nature take it from there! Might get enough of them coming up! Years ago, I did that some with the front slope of my property. Just threw the seeds out there...some of them did well that way, some didn't. It was too far to get water to that area. Of course, it helps if there's enough rain!

Great idea. Thanks Linda. I may try that if I can't find those "roll" things.

Sheila and All, I wonder if the larval food plants are much different for TX as they are here in MS? Lee
P.S. Love the site who ever is the moderator or started it. Am charging up my camera now to brave the heat. Maybe I can catch some pics of some puddling.

Kevin: Yes, please share your photo's ... look forward to them!

Last year we had multitudes of Butterflies but this year has been very scarce. I wonder if it has anything to do with the extreme winters everyone has been experiencing the past few years?I was very excited yesterday afternoon to find Monarch Caterpillars devouring the Milkweed! I've grown this host plant for a few years and it's the first time I've ever seen the caterpillars! I was outside this morning and noticed a Butterfly flying erratically around the milkweed and landing to deposit eggs.

Kevin....no the host plants on the list for that particular butterfly will be the same everywhere. There maybe other butterflies in some areas and not in others though. Just like some plants grow in different areas. Since you are in Ms, look at the list under "butterfly gardening" on this link. www.dallasbutterflies.com It is a great reference site and has free membership.

These links might be helpful for those in Mississippi too:

http://welovebutterflies.com/b...

http://msucares.com/lawn/lands...

That last site has a problem with their line up on the host plants lists...but both can be gleaned for some good info too.

UniQueTreasures said:I found what I think are eggs on a leaf of my Amaranth this morning.

I have been trying to figure out what this is a host of and am having no luck at all. So I'm here to ask the experts. Is this caterpillar eggs? Or some kind of poop?

Janet, are you sure those black things aren't amaranthus seeds? Or other seeds falling from nearby plants?

Karen