hummingbird3172
Zone 9b Saint Cloud, FL
Posts: 261
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 4:43 pm Post subject: Strange little caterpillars..... |
|
I found these :
On my milkweed plants...I was looking for monarch and queen caterpillars. I didn't handle them too much because I wasn't sure what they were. Then I saw this:
which is a pupa, but doesn't really look like a butterfly or moth pupa. It looked like a fly's to me so I did some reading and I might have figured it out. I didn't mention it before, but my milkweed plant had a bit of an aphid issue. Well, it DID, but now not so much. There is a type of fly and their larva that eats aphids called a syrphid fly. I brought the pupa in to try and see what emerged...but my monarch caterpillar ate it. 
To hide these ads please register / sign in
_________________
~Anna
|
|
| Back to top |
|
zuzu's petals
Coastal N.Carolina ~zone 8~
Posts: 2439
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 5:16 pm Post subject: |
|
Oops.  The circle of life can be tough. 
On the up side, I'll bet if you listen really closely, you'll hear
your monarch caterpillar saying ". . . thank you very much . . . burp 
|
|
| Back to top |
|
hummingbird3172
Zone 9b Saint Cloud, FL
Posts: 261
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 6:50 pm Post subject: |
|
I think I DID hear him say that! Well, I should have known better, I just thought if I gave him enough leaves he'd leave the pupa alone. I had it up near the top of the cage, he had to really go out of his way to get it!
_________________
~Anna
|
|
| Back to top |
|
Chitweed
Delaware, USA
Posts: 274
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 7:30 pm Post subject: |
|
You really have a kind heart, and inquisitive nature to bring in a fly to see it hatch!
great pictures HB!
_________________
But make no mistake: the weeds will win; nature bats last.
- Robert M. Pyle
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
