Assassins
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bethie's world | Posted:
Tue Jul 04, 2006 1:23 pm
Well, it's finally butterfly time once again. There's nothing like these flying jewels. Our host plants are full of eggs. Every spring I root cuttings from pussy willows and contorted willows and grow them in a box on top of my storm house. This gives several of the butterfly species some nice young leaves to eat. In the fall I plant the trees or give them away. Everyone likes the contorted willows. It makes beautiful branches to put in a vase. Sunday we had our first large caterpillar, a viceroy.
The butterflies look like small monarchs. We did what we like to call a "worm visit" and keep tabs on our caterpillars. He was fat and sassy and ready to spin a cocoon. I got up early the next day and went to see him. To my horror he was in the grips of an assassin bug.
Well, it was too late for him and assassins have to eat too. In a little while he was sucked dry and dropped on the concrete where a bunch of little ants had him. The next time I came by there was no trace of him at all. I did see the assassin bug the next day still on the plant and evicted him with a blast from the hose.
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