More Brachnoid Wasps and More 'Stuff'

The first find of today's walk was a sad one.  A Yellow Lined Slug Moth has brachnoid wasp cocoons on its back.  This caterpillar will be dead shortly.  We did find another Yellow Lined Slug Moth caterpillar that appears to be healthy.  We won't know until it emerges as an adult, though.

Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth - Lithacodes fasciola
Brachnoid Wasp Cocoons 

Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth - Lithacodes fasciolaBrachnoid Wasp Cocoons

We startled a deer that took off into the deeper woods.  There wasn't enough time to take a photo.

Next, a couple of caterpillars.  One is another caterpillar of a species we picked up last week and the other is one caterpillar of a species we raised last year.

Afflicted Dagger Moth - Acronicta afflicta

We found several of the caterpillar just above, varying sizes. 

A racket and rattle near me caught my attention.  A butterfly predator had caught and was eating a butterfly predator.  A Robber Fly caught a Dragonfly and is eating it.

A Robber Fly caught and is eating a Dragonfly

A Robber Fly caught and is eating a Dragonfly

Nothing to do with butterflies, but mushrooms were popping up all over the place!

This looks like a little table or pillow with lace around the edge.

Today's finds: about 10 species of caterpillars, several species of eggs, one set of brachnoid cocoons, and a load of fun.

Dogbane vs Milkweed

Can you tell which plant is dogbane and which is milkweed? Dogbane doesn't grow in Florida but in areas where it does grow, many people use it to 'feed' their Monarch caterpillars, thinking that it IS milkweed. The result is starved caterpillars. Monarch caterpillars will not eat dogbane.

The plant on the left is dogbane and the plant on the right is common milkweed. Both have white sap.

Milkweed has hollow stems and dogbane has solid stems (thank you Jodi and Linda for these tips). Common milkweed has green stems while dogbane has red stems.



The flowers resemble milkweed in this species of dogbane but it is not the exact same flowers. Some species of dogbane grows flowers that closely resemble milkweed flowers.

If you're not sure, send a photo to someone who knows the difference. Remember, feeding dogbane to Monarch caterpillars (or rather, attempting to feed it to Monarch caterpillars) is a sure way to starve them to death!

At Shady Oak Butterfly Farm we use tropical milkweed exclusively. We're jealous! We'd love to have the larger leaves of common milkweed but it won't grow with our warmers winters - it needs cold winters.

Butterfly Host and Nectar Plants

We've been working hard on our plant list and it is nearly finished. Not all of these plants will be available in early spring. Some will be grown to order only.

If you can't find info on our site about the plant that catches your interest, please send us an email!

~Edith


Australian Violet Viola hederacea

Aster Symphyotrichum sp

Autumn Sage Salvia greggii

Batface Cuphea llaeva

Bay Persea sp.

Black Cherry Prunus serotina

Blue Pea Vine Clitoria sp

Butterfly Bush Buddleia sp

Button Bush

Calico Vine Aristolochia elegans

Candlestick Cassia Cassia alata

Candy Corn Cuphea milvillea

Canna Lily Canna sp.

Cape Honeysuckle Techmaria capensis

Christmas Cassia Cassia bicapsularis

Coontie Zamia pumila

Coral Honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens

Creeping Indigo Indigofera spicata

Cudweed Gnaphalium sp.

Cypress Vine Ipomoea quamoclit

Deerberry vaccinium stamineum

False Nettle Bohemeria cylindrica

Fennel Foeniculum sp.

Firecracker - Upright Russelia sarmentosa

Firecracker - Weeping Russelia equisetiformis

Firespike Odontonema strictum

Frogfruit Phyla sp

Golden Dewdrop Duranta repens

Green Shrimp Blechum brownei

Hackberry Celtis sp

Heather Cuphea sp

Hercule's Cub Zanthoxylum clava herculis

Hibiscus Hibiscus sp

Hollyhock Alcea rosea

Hop Tree Ptelea trifoliata

Lemon Marigold Tagetes sp.

Liatris Liatris sp.

Loquat Eriobotrya japonica

Mexican/Summer Petunia Ruellia brittoniana

Mexican Sunflower Tithonia rotundiflolia

Mist Flower Ageratum sp.

Mock Bishop's Weed Ptilimnium capillaceum

Oleander Nerium oleander

Parsley Petroselunum sp.

Partridge Pea Cassia fasciculata

Passionvine, Blue Passiflora carula

Passionvine, Boomerang Passiflora biflora

Passionvine, Corky-stem Passiflora suberosa

Passionvine, Incense Passiflora incense

Passionvine, Lavender Lady Passiflora Lavender Lady

Passionvine, Maypop Passiflora incarnata

Passionvine, Running Pop Passiflora foetida

Pawpaw Asimina sp.

Pellitory Parietaria sp

Pepperweed Lepidium sp.

Philippine Violet Baleria sp.

Plumbago Plumbago sp.

Poplar Liriodendron tulipifera

Queen Anne's Lace Daucus carota

Rayless Sunflower Helianthus sp

Ribgrass Plantain Plantago lanceolata

Rosemary Rosemarinus officinalis

Rue Ruta graveolens

Saltbush Baccharis sp

Sassafras Sassafras albidum

Sensitive Plant Mimosa pudica

Shy Leaf Aeschynomene americana

Silky Gold Milkweed Asclepias curassavica, Silky Gold

Spicebush Lindera sp

St. Augustine Grass Stenatophrum secundatum

Stoke's Aster Stokesia laevis

Summer Farewell Dalea sp

Sweet Bay Magnolia virginiana

Sweet Gum Liquidambar styraciflua

Tansy Mustard Descurainia pinnata

Tropical Milkweed Asclepias curassavica

Tulip Poplar Liriodendron tulipifera

Turk's Cap Malvaviscus arboreus

Twinflower Dyschoriste sp.

Verbena Verbena sp

Violet Viola sp

Water Hyssop Bacopa monnieri

Wax Myrtle Myrica cerifera

Wedelia Wedelia sp.

White Vine Sarcostemma sp

Wild Lime Zanthoxylum fagara

Willow Salix sp

Malachites at Lake Okeechobee

Stephen and I went to Lake Okeechobee last week. We traveled north on the east side of the lake. Every time we travel back I wheedle and plead and Stephen allows me to pull off and swing under the overpass. I climb out with my camera and have fun. This time I took photos of two Malachites. This was the first time I spotted them that far north. One was tattered and the other was fresh. Although I searched for eggs and caterpillars on green shrimp growing there, I didn't see traces of either.

I also spotted quite a few Zebra Longwing butterflies, Great Southern White butterflies, some Sulphurs, Checkered Skippers, Long-tailed Skippers, lots of Red Admirals on pellitory and drinking nectar from Spanish Needles (Bidens sp.) and White Peacocks. We did spot a little bit of False Nettle but I didn't notice Red Admirals on it. Pellitory was full of 'nests' of Red Admiral caterpillars.