Mystery Solved

My beautiful spiky caterpillar is an American Lady. It is a true Bush-footed Butterfly. The American Lady is not in any danger at this time. Probably because the caterpillars eat a species of plants that are readily available. The caterpillars eat plants in the sunflower family and burdock is one of those plants. I think my little one started off on my Black-eyed Susan flowers as they are right beside the Pussy-toes. Both of those plants are in the family of plants that they use for food. However now that it has been eating a steady diet of Pussy-toes it doesn't want anything else so I had to put some more pussy-toes into a pot for him as most of the ones in the first pot are all eaten. I hope it becomes a chrysalis soon as I don't think I can keep potting up my pussy-toes. A great website for butterfly information is http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org

A New Caterpillar and a Mystery

I found this little guy eating my pussy toes so I collected some pussy toes in a pot and will rear him to see what he is. I thought at first he was a Painted Lady but he doesn't match the pictures.

Summer Holidays Have Begun

Hurrah!
Yesterday was my last day of work until September!
Now the serious countdown to Wedding begins. Just 15 days! So much to do!

This chrysalis formed Monday, June 19 and will be a Monarch Butterfly any day now!

In the picture on the right you see the caterpillar is hanging in a J. It will soon be changing into a chrysalis.