Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Saturday - January 23, 2016
From: Winchendon, MA
Region: Northeast
Topic: Pests, Herbs/Forbs, Wildflowers
Title: Caterpillars on Milkweed in MA
Answered by: Anne Van Nest
QUESTION:
I have found every year a black/red caterpillars on my milkweed. They eat everything! I have never been able to find out what they are or how to get rid of them.ANSWER:
The milkweed tussock caterpillar (Euchaetes egle) is a common summertime feeder on milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) and dogbane (Apocynum spp.) in a huge area from southern Canada to Texas. Wikipedia says that the older caterpillars are gregarious and sport tufts of black, white and orange hairs with a black head. This coloration mimics the monarch butterfly caterpillar in a hope to ward off predators. The adult butterfly is a gray and yellow with rows of black dots on the dorsum.
Willow House Chronicles has a blog post about your caterpillar. Barefootheart says: The Tussock moth label is a misnomer, as these moths are classified with tiger moths. Another tiger moth caterpillar that you are probably familiar with is the Woolly Bear.
Some people have an allergic reaction, developing a rash, after handling these caterpillars, so it is not a good idea to pick them up, no matter how cute and fuzzy them may look.
Female moths lay large batches of eggs, and while the caterpillars are tiny, they live together on one plant before dispersing. Monarch butterflies are well know to also use milkweed as their larval food source, but Wagner notes that Monarchs tend to prefer young shoots, while Tussocks are content to eat older foliage. The caterpillar will overwinter in a cocoon and emerge as a moth next year.
These caterpillars will most likely be an annual visitor to your milkweeds and a sustainable strategy should be to encourage more milkweeds fluorish so that there is plenty of host plants for you and your visiting insects.
From the Image Gallery
More Herbs/Forbs Questions
Dietes bicolor invasive from Brisbane Australia
April 01, 2013 - We have dietes bicolor growing in our garden. I am changing the type of garden and cannot seem to kill it. I've dugged it out, spent too many weekends pulling out every new shoot, used poison, but t...
view the full question and answer
Flowers for an August wedding in Driftwood TX
March 25, 2012 - For an August 4th wedding in Driftwood, Texas we want fragrant flowers and wildflowers that we can grow in our garden. We have four raised beds (12 ft. x 6 ft.) in a fenced area in which we've grown ...
view the full question and answer
Schedule for planting perennial wildflowers from Asheville NC
March 22, 2013 - When is the best time to plant perennial wildflowers?
view the full question and answer
Plants to grow between patio pavers
March 15, 2013 - We'd like to use poured concrete pavers for a deck. What grows well, whether it be grass or other, between these. We'll have 4-6" between 4 foot pavers. And would love to find something that does...
view the full question and answer
Dying blackeyed Susans in new garden in Pennsylvania
August 26, 2008 - Hi Mr. Smarty Plants! I have recently planted black eyed susans in a newly dug garden along with some cone flowers. The other flowers are doing fine but the black eyed susans have all dried up and are...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |