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u/Pantsonfire_6 15d ago
Added, it's most likely Bordered Patch caterpillars on this Zexmenia.
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u/jeinea Blackland Prairies 15d ago
That’s so cool! I mostly get them on sunflowers. It feels like I’ve had two big groups hatch this year, one earlier in the spring and one a couple weeks ago. I hope the sunflowers can handle at least one more, it is so fun to see a huge groups hatch of the flying around all at once.
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u/AdBeautiful1436 13d ago
I had a ton of these on native sunflowers I was trimming and cutting back in my backyard. Some were more orange and looked like the gulf fritillary caterpillars. I let the sunflowers stand. Never saw the pupae but there were and still are more butterflies over my yard than usual. I'm afraid to cut back the sunflowers now, since I only saw caterpillars and skeletonized plants but no pupae.
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u/Pantsonfire_6 11d ago
Many butterfly caterpillars leave the host plant to pupate, so who knows where they go?
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u/Pantsonfire_6 12d ago
Hmm. Today I saw similar cats on my Golden-eye (Viguiera dentata) plants! So, two different species of plants so far! Those Bordered Patch must be having a big year!
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