Asked on Jul 10, 2015
Caterpillar
by
Amy
+19
Can anyone ID this little guy on my red passion vine plant? I love, love butterflies, so I hope I see more!! Usually I see adult gulf fritilaries (SP?) on my purple passion vine, but I have never seen this type of cat. THANKS!
11 answers
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It looks like a Gulf Frittillary cat. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/gallery?stage=caterpillar&species_view=dorsal&species_type=0&family=All&field_sciname_value=&field_comname_value=
Jennifer Vallot
on Jul 10, 2015
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http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Agraulis-vanillae
Jennifer Vallot
on Jul 10, 2015
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Gulf fritillary love Passion flower vines. I have a huge vine this year that I have to cut back. I put sturdy wire fencing inside the "open" window areas of my porch facing the street. The vines have filled in the openings, giving shade and privacy for a few months. During the few summer months we have quite a show of butterflies laying their eggs in the safety of the curly fingers that attach to the wire. In 10 days new butterflies emerge. This is a great learning too for children and adults. When the caterpillars have had their fill they will attach themselves to a safe place, form a casing with a sort of bubbling fluid that hardens. You will also note the encased caterpillars will move when gently touched or to avoid inclement weather. I wait until no more hatch to remove other casings (can't remember the correct word) or active butterflies are no longer eating the vine to sweep casings that didn't hatch and cut back the now stringy vine. Warning: the vine is prolific, don't plant next to any other plant, tree or area where you don't want the vine to cover what ever it can grow and attach!
Susan S
on Jul 10, 2015
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You may see a butterfly, but you will also see many holes in your plants! :)
A. Barnette
on Jul 10, 2015
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yep. frittilary. They often get installed with your vine. Had one in a region where they aren't native (lived on the vine).
Lisa Whitaker
on Jul 11, 2015
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I plant native passionvine just for the fritillary butterflies.
Ann
on Jul 11, 2015
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Yep it's a fritillaria butterfly.
Juanita J
on Jul 11, 2015
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it looks like the tent caterpillar we had in my parents home in toronto-we had a cherry tree in the back yard & every spring it became infested with the things
Louis Lieberman
on Jul 11, 2015
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Trust me, it is indeed a Fritillary caterpillar and they need passion vines for their food. So yes, your plant will suffer damage, and may lose lots of leaves but you will be rewarded with lots and lots of butterflies!
Cherie
on Jul 11, 2015
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Looks like an oleander caterpillar to me.
TateTwo
on Jul 11, 2015
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It's a gulf fritillarry caterpillar. On red passion vine they sometimes do not fully develop.
Jo Anne K
on Jul 11, 2015
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