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May 14, 2016 9:05 PM CST
Thread OP
St. Louis Missouri
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Hi sorry these are the best photographs I could take with my smart phone. Can anyone possibly tell me what Will soon be eating my plants ? Thank you.
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May 14, 2016 9:29 PM CST
Name: Elaine
Sarasota, Fl
The one constant in life is change
Amaryllis Tropicals Multi-Region Gardener Orchids Master Gardener: Florida Irises
Herbs Region: Florida Vegetable Grower Daylilies Birds Cat Lover
Hmm, no clue at all, sorry but I'll give a shout out to our moderator of the Butterflies forum and see if she's seen eggs like that.

@mellielong

Welcome to garden.org Welcome!
Elaine

"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
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May 14, 2016 10:16 PM CST
Name: Melanie
Lutz, Florida (Zone 9b)
Butterflies Enjoys or suffers hot summers Hummingbirder Birds Bee Lover Bookworm
Region: Florida Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Bromeliad Native Plants and Wildflowers Plant Identifier Salvias
Well, I'll give it a whirl. The only caterpillar in my Caterpillars of Eastern North America book that is listed as eating Verbena - and I'm assuming that's what it is given the flower in the background - is the Common Looper (Autographa precationis). I Googled their eggs and BugGuide shows has two pictures.

http://bugguide.net/node/view/...
http://bugguide.net/node/view/...

Doesn't look like an exact match to me, but of course, you're the one who can see them in real life so I'll let you be the judge. I can tell you it's probably not a butterfly because I don't know of any that use Verbena as a host plant. Good nectar plant, though! So you've either got moth eggs, or some other kind of bug. FYI, always tell us what plant their on because butterflies and moths are picky eaters. Butterflies more so than moths. I say put them in a container and raise them to find out! But that's just me. It says they also eat beans, cabbage, dandelion, sunflower, thistle, so there should be plenty of food for them.

Finally, Welcome!
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May 14, 2016 10:25 PM CST
Name: Melanie
Lutz, Florida (Zone 9b)
Butterflies Enjoys or suffers hot summers Hummingbirder Birds Bee Lover Bookworm
Region: Florida Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Bromeliad Native Plants and Wildflowers Plant Identifier Salvias
Ooh! Ooh! My Google search wizardry thinks it might have found them. They might be some kind of soldier bug or stink bug. Look: http://dkphoto.photoshelter.co...

Do a Google image search on "spined soldier bug eggs" and look at the stuff that turns up.

Also, here's some info from UF about them. They're actually considered beneficial because they'll be eating other bugs - not your plants.

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/crea...
Avatar for lisaloo123
May 15, 2016 8:25 AM CST
Thread OP
St. Louis Missouri
Yay Melanie!
Thank you for the exact match. I guess they get to remain on my verbena. We will wait and watch.
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May 15, 2016 8:56 AM CST
Name: Elaine
Sarasota, Fl
The one constant in life is change
Amaryllis Tropicals Multi-Region Gardener Orchids Master Gardener: Florida Irises
Herbs Region: Florida Vegetable Grower Daylilies Birds Cat Lover
Wow, well done, Melanie!
Elaine

"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
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May 15, 2016 10:17 AM CST
Name: Melanie
Lutz, Florida (Zone 9b)
Butterflies Enjoys or suffers hot summers Hummingbirder Birds Bee Lover Bookworm
Region: Florida Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Bromeliad Native Plants and Wildflowers Plant Identifier Salvias
Glad I could help! And I learned something new myself!
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