I put ice on it, and it did not last long. We live in Northern Lower Michigan, and we’ve had many tussock moth caterpillars on our milkweed this year. Thank the Lord for supporting our efforts regarding this matter. At this time I only have a few regrown swamp milkweed and a few tiny pop up common milkweeds and the butterflies are continually laying eggs on them. Never saw anything like it before! Leave lots of space for air circulation. i have a picture of the little white furries along with the tussock ones…. Oh, my goodness, Carole, it was the most beautiful Monarch I have ever seen. I have been using a bucket of water with blue dawn dish soap to get rid of them. We see Tussock moth caterpillars on milkweed all the time here in Ohio. the amazing phenomenon that is the Monarch migration to their wintering sites in Mexico, and the scientists who study this migration. We have over 60 plants. Monarch Caterapillars pick all manner of locations for their transformation into a chrysalis. I also found something else which I haven’t identified yet. They are cute! It seems every website indicates that the monarch caterpillar will only eat milkweed. One of the biggest factors in monarch decline is the increasing scarcity of its only caterpillar host plant: milkweed. Tussock moth caterpillars denude trees and bushes as well as milkweed. Photo by Kip Kiphart. I live in Kennebunk, Maine and I have the Tussock caterpillars all over the milk weed growing around my house. I have been searching on the internet to find what kind it is and I have not found out what it is. This week, Bug of the Week was inundated with questions about another caterpillar munching on milkweed: the milkweed tussock moth, also known as the milkweed tiger moth. I hv them in my butterfly enclosure now and plan to release when mature. Western Wi area. i have found that monarch caterpillars also eat what we in illinois call bindweed. We have been raising Monarchs indoors for several years in the Southern Tier of NY state. Monarch caterpillars do only eat plants in the Milkweed family (Asclepias spp), so if we want to help them out in our wildlife gardens, we still need to add these plants to our gardens. We all know that monarch larvae eat milkweed plants, but what about the other insects that share a … She saved me a few of the cats to raise, and some have already made a cocoon, some are still eating. I had one attach right to a cherry tomato ? Last week I noticed this fellow noshing on a pot of Swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata. I found 3 Swallow Tail caterpillars on my parsley plant, in the corner of my deck, and a few days later, only 1 can be found. Yes, very aware of the situation on the border. Liriomyza asclepiadis is the specific species of leaf miner that feeds on … the tussock caterpillar is a bad one to have in your milkweed, strips the leaves in no time and moves to another plant, they eat in groups, and when disturbed, they curl and drop faster than you can catch them. I tell everyone you haven’t seen a Monarch until you’ve seen one ‘just born’!!! Hardly saw any last year. If I don’t there wont be any pods. This year is the first year we have seen Monarch caterpillars o our plants. I have the Cyncia inopinatus caterpillar on my milk weed this year. It’s chrysalis was just above it, and I am going to “assume” that it just emerged today. But I’d rather have monarch cats. Have let lots of milkweed grow over the years in central Vermont and get a crop of tussock caterpillars every Fall. Cute little things but not the monarchs I wanted. I’ve only ever encountered one other unique caterpillar and that was the Saddleback Caterpillar. Each time we’ve talked about Monarch Butterflies, I’ve told you about the need to plant more milkweed to help the Monarchs on this journey. The only Monarchs I’ve seen yet are the ones I released a few days ago. The caterpillars that are eating your fennel, dill, and parsley are swallowtail caterpillars!!! Queen butterflies will also use milkweed as hosts. We have also had a few of the fluffy milkweed tussocks eating on our milkweed as we speak. I live in Rockland County, New York & planted milkweed 5 or 6 years ago. It doesn’t sound like they are endangered, but since they are native, I will not destroy them. So beautiful, what a treat! I also see hummingbird moths, a variety of wasps and bees, assassin bugs, praying mantis and other moths and butterflies. Would love to, though. I am in Cincinnati, OH and I see the milkweed tussock moth caterpillar on an annual basis. No Monarchs though. It’s the Striped garden caterpillar, Trichordestra legitimata, which feasts not only on milkweed but other common garden greens–clover, goldenrod, yarrow, grasses and others. Will photograph stages. Monarch caterpillars remain in the larva stage for about two weeks. As the caterpillars mature, they become covered in thick hairs with many black, orange and white tufts. I have seen plenty of black swallowtails on those herbs but never a monarch. I raised it to produce a monarch butterfly, keeping it safe my window pane. This time last year I was releasing by the dozens. Butterfly Gardening for Monarchs: Got Milkweed? Had the Tussocks last year. It doesn’t need to be fertilized. Photo by Monika Maeckle. Let lots of milkweed grow & trying to get neighbors to do the same. I have another caterpillar that was eating on my swamp milkweed in Benton County IA and have been trying to ID it. by Ecosystem Gardener | Dec 4, 2020 | Butterfly Gardening. A fellow master gardener and Entomology specialist had the orange and black Tussock moth caterpillars on her milkweed recently. Unfortunately the Ntl. Creepy creatures!! Several if them all feeding on the same leaf. Gillian, Warren MA., have pictures if can send? Click the Submit Your Comments button below to leave us a comment! I was just checking my Milkweed for Monarch Lava and found a Load of Tussock Moth Caterpillars…. It’s eating the milk weed leaves. Red bugs/ants, other pests noted also. They are sort of pretty. Monarchs are beautiful without a doubt and I love seeing them but why kill something just because it isn’t as pretty. Though the caterpillars are certainly eye-catching, the moths, too, are attractive in their way. I’ve not seen the other two on it though. With shifting land management practices, we have lost much milkweed from the landscape. I’m in meeker county, mn. we had some caterpillars die in different stages of their lives from young worm to the cristlas stage. This year is a wash. Next year, I’ll mow down at least half of my common milkweed so it isn’t so densely packed. They’re endearing, ubiquitous, easy to identify and we have a special relationship with them. Because it is a native plant, provided you plant the right species, milkweed is easy to grow. Kiphart says Langford brought the caterpillar to a meeting, asking for help in identifying it. For two years in a row I have found monarch caterpillars on ivy plants in my backyard. I get them on my parsley and dill every year. I have plenty of up close photos to share. I have a picture of a caterpillar, is it a Monarch and what is the weed it's on? Well not at this Florida household. Thanks for info on cycnia. I live in Maine and have 15 Tussock Moth caterpillars on 4 Milkweed stalks just munching away on the leaves. The University of Minnesota, which oversees the MLMP, is seeking citizen science observations and documentation of the moth, which is considered rare and of conservation concern. I have two parsley plants that have four or more Monarch caterpillars eating them to the quick. The monarchs sure are a hungry bunch so we have to keep getting fresh leaves from our milkweed. –MM. Anyone know what this might be? We have the Tussock here in PA as well. Check out these photos on Bugguide.net. This one was very small, maybe a third of an inch total, nondescript color, shaped with a little bit of a flare around the head, and when I tried to move it, it reared up at me as if to threaten me and writhed a lot more than the monarchs do. In southern georgian bay, ontario we have a bumper crop of monarchs and they are flying everywhere right now. I don’t think I can blame the Tussocks, because they have only appeared this week. Didnt have many Japanese beetles this year either,a blessing think cold helped but lost several butterfly bushes. The Cyncia is considered a first for the area. We are wondering what do they grow up into, as we have not found any information on these. Are they a pest to monarchs? I am in Stillwater MN and have found many milkweed Tussock on my orange butterfly bushes. Milkweed plants don't produce toxins for the monarch's benefit, of course, they produce toxins to defend themselves from herbivores, including hungry monarch caterpillars. It was amazing! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10212758728743067&set=a.1682930553107&type=3&theater¬if_t=feedback_reaction_generic¬if_id=1537018286432339. Without milkweed, monarchs can’t successfully reproduce and the species declines. They drink nectar from many species of flowers, including milkweed. The milkweed plant provides all the nourishment the monarch needs to transform the Monarch caterpillar into the adult butterfly. 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