This is what I saw first -the chewed sides of milkweed seed pods.
chomp chomp chomp
I had not seen any butterflies visit my
Ascelpias tuberosa and started to question its good name. These are Monarch caterpillars -storied to feed only on milkweed -now I get it, butterfly weed. My milkweed has grown so well this year that it may have just earned the right to host a couple.
That's a serious turd.
Now I get to wait for them to pupate, chrysalis photos coming in a few days? What's exciting about these two monarchs is that they are 4th generation, which means that when they exit the chrysalis, they will be off to spend the winter in the mountains of Mexico, returning to the southern U.S. next spring to mate. Welcome to Frank's Bed & Asclepias, I hope you enjoy your stay.
Meanwhile, just below the monarchs are these orange aphids. These are also newcomers and prefer the milkweed too. The crazy thing about these aphids, unlike all the other aphids I've had here, is that they are the same color as
the flowers of my butterfly weed. While no way conclusive,
Aphis nerii seems to be a possible species.