Winter Caterpillars - the good kind!

[ChanellG]

I went out to my garden yesterday and to my surprise, not only was it still going despite my lack of attention for several weeks, but I still had plenty of blooming going on from the non-winter "annuals" and the recent heatwave in December (yes, it was up to 80 F) gave the perennials a boost and they are showing off.

The warm weather also meant we still had butterflies laying eggs and I keep finding stragglers on the passion vine and milkweed. The frits have food because I acquired extra plants in the fall, but I started cutting the milkweed back on schedule and now I only have one plant (that I know of - keep finding volunteers from the seed I missed collecting) that still has leaves.

If this little guy makes it a couple more instars I can get it the rest of the way with squash...

I haven't even thought about how to set up seed starting trays for the spring. I still need to get my greenhouse up for the plants that aren't so cold hardy!

 

[ChanellG]

Bump.

 

[Beverly]

Hi @ChanellG, i am interested in your caterpillar and would like to know what it is? Doesn't look quite right for a monarch although the stems i am seeing could be milkweed. I am interested in your comment about squash. I haven't heard of feeding squash to a caterpillar. What kind of squash? Summer squash or winter squash? Will that get caterpillars through the last couple of instars to pupation if there is a shortage of host food? Wow, i haven't heard about this before...raw squash? or squash leaves or flowers or seeds? I am fascinated and would love to know. Hope to hear from you. Do you get Soldiers or Viceroys in La?

 

[ChanellG]

Hi @ChanellG, i am interested in your caterpillar and would like to know what it is? Doesn't look quite right for a monarch although the stems i am seeing could be milkweed. I am interested in your comment about squash. I haven't heard of feeding squash to a caterpillar. What kind of squash? Summer squash or winter squash? Will that get caterpillars through the last couple of instars to pupation if there is a shortage of host food? Wow, i haven't heard about this before...raw squash? or squash leaves or flowers or seeds? I am fascinated and would love to know. Hope to hear from you. Do you get Soldiers or Viceroys in La?

It's a monarch. I found another one after that one! As for the squash, some people have had success with butternut and others have tried pumpkin. The butterflies I have actually seen in my yard are monarch, 2 types of swallowtail, buckeye, longtail skipper, red admiral, and gulf fritillary. I only keep host plants for three of them, but I now have a volunteer ruella so maybe I'll see more caterpillars this year.

 

[Beverly]

Thank you @ChanellG, do you use the raw pulp to feed the caterpillars?

 

[IcyBC]

Oh how lucky you are having a caterpillar at this time of year! I hope it will survive the constant change of weather.

 

[Trellum]

Beautiful caterpillar I used to get so happy whenever I saw those in our garden I love monarch butterflies! I bet you felt great when you found out your garden was still going despite you not actively work on it for weeks, I just love it when things manage to work out somehow.

 

[ChanellG]

Thank you @ChanellG, do you use the raw pulp to feed the caterpillars?

Here's some info on using pumpkin: vs.com/weeklyad/browse/browse-home.jsp#Browse

Here's some info on using butternut squash: http://www.cranialborborygmus.com/monarch-caterpillars-eat-butternut-squash.htm

Some people cut the squash and put it on skewers to make squash pops.