Herding Cats

Facebook fans have recently been posting about some of these scary looking caterpillars commonly found in southern Ohio. These boys are voracious and well known for chowing-down on plants in the pipevine family. I saw some tonight on my travels through Adams County...


............................................................ photo Cathy Knoop

...and I am looking forward to finding more Pipevine Swallowtail "cats" this weekend. Pipevine is said to make the butterflies poisonous, and while I do not know which chemical is at play here, I will resist the urge to eat either plant, caterpillar or butterfly on the off chance that "they" are right!

.............................................................photo John Howard

The adult Pipevine is a striking swallowtail. I have planted its host plant in my yard with great hopes for the future.

...................................................................photo Dave Reipenhoff

This crop of caterpillars are steadily working on a willow. Willow is a host plant for several species of butterflies, including the Mourning Cloak (shown above), and Viceroy caterpillars.

.................................................................C. Harner

Mourning Cloak butterflies overwinter as adults and are often the earliest species seen each year. They may seen dull and dark on a quick fly-by, but if you are lucky enough to see one close up, the blue spots and yellow banding make quite a contrast with the dark, sometimes nearly burgundy-tinted hues.

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Early summer is a great time to look for caterpillars, but remember, even if you find them, it is virtually impossible to herd a "cat"!