Posted in: Growing Flowers
By this time last year I had twelve caterpillars eating lots of parsley, then spinning their chrysalises ready to someday become butterflies. One was a Monarch, the rest Blue Swallowtails. This year the only caterpillar I’ve seen of those two varieties was this one months ago. When I returned to find it the next day, it had traveled to another locations that I never found.
Now many leaves from the butterfly weed have been stripped. Since it is a type of milkweed that Monarchs like, I assume it was eaten by their caterpillars. Instead of butterflies, these are the insects that are eating the plant now.
After a little searching, I think they are Boxelder Bugs. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong. They cover the seed pods, which still manage to produce those beautiful floating seeds.
I try to plant as many as I can to increase my butterfly garden.