Newly planted Salvia showing signs of insect damage.

Bachelor Button

Passiflora Leaf

Hibiscus trionum

Recently found two Gulf Fritillary on my passiflora. When I converted part of the courtyard to succulents and drought tolerant plants, I made the mistake of moving my passiflora. It did not survive. There were some volunteers in another garden that I transferred to trellises in the courtyard. That is where the two Gulf Fritillary were found.

In the past, the majority of the Gulf Fritillary made it through their cycle to emerge as lovely butterflies. The first time I saw one I mistakenly thought it was a Monarch. Now I know they look nothing alike. Well, both have orange and black wings.

Need to check my archives for photos of Gulf Fritillary.

February 12 2019

I noticed a lot of damage to this plant, but couldn’t find the culprit.

Until Wednesday. How could I miss this caterpillar?

Since I am not sure who he is, decided to leave him. To wait and see. Pretty sure he is a moth of sorts.

The plant is probably a Plectranthus. I purchased it on a whim from the neighborhood grocery store.

It is a fast grower. Easy to propagate by snapping off a piece and either placing the piece in a small amount of water or popping it directly in soil.

I posted this image of a variegated Brugmansia in September. That was prior to caterpillars made it their home.

The caterpillars look so much like the Brug leaves and stems they are often difficult to find.

Caterpillars Removed This Morning

This evening I found three more.

And I have no idea who this is–

After the last flowers bloom, I plan to remove all of the leaves and then treat the Brug with systemic.