Past blogs have dealt with the burrs and chiggers, and how I
came to provide such a haven for both, but the disappearance of the grape
leaves, and quite a bit of other foliage, I think you can guess. The “Very Hungary Caterpillar” was,
under this “Live and Let Live” policy, given free rein to enjoy all that lay
before it, and it did.
Again, ignorance is to blame. Very early in the spring, a moth caught my eye that was
fairly small, but had the largest white spots on black wings, and orange
markings on its legs that reminded me of pollen baskets on a bee. My first thought was that it was a
butterfly, for it’s colors were so striking, and it was out by day, and it had
very slender antennae even enlarged on the ends-all hallmarks of a butterfly. However, when I couldn’t find it in any
butterfly book, I took a closer look, and saw that it didn’t have the “club” at
the end of the antennae, just a thickened antennae and, more
characteristically, it rested with its wings open. Ah, a moth then.
Well, moths are far harder to ID for it seems there isn’t a big demand
for Moth Identification books, so good luck when you want to know who is
who.
I tried googling it, putting in identifying marks, plus our
location in Texas-nothing. I did
find out though that there are over 7,500 different moth species in Texas, and
less than 500 butterflies. Giving
refuge to every caterpillar in the hope it will turn into some fabulous
butterfly seems statistically unlikely then. Plus, that explains the lack of moth Id books; that would be
one large text to lug around. I
took to calling it a “Mortadella moth”, a nod to my Italian ancestry, the white
circles on its wings, reminded me of the white fat globs in mortadella
sausage. Not that that really
seemed to paint a clear picture to those I explained it too; apparently not a
lot of mortadella connoisseurs here in Texas.
Either way, it was a lovely little moth and seemed to fly up
in clouds from the grape vine when I would pass by. Charming. Now
run the tape ahead a few weeks, moths have disappeared but in their place,
about a zillion caterpillars with striped black white and, orange bodies and charming yellow
spotted faces, like yellow ladybugs with a caterpillar body, start showing
up. Within a week, the once
covered with leaves, grape vines, are stripped to the core. Stink.
My husband was able to find, in the, as yet, unpacked books,
the Golden Guide Butterfly and Moth book from 1964 and don’t you know, there it
is, the 8 Spotted Forester Moth, at least that is what it was called then, and
what do the larva eat? Grape and
woodbine. And they are double
brooded. Not sure what that means
but it doesn’t sound good. Due to
all the fabulous rain we have been getting, the grapes are making a valiant
stab at leaf growing, part two, but I fear the caterpillar may see their effort
and raise it with, leaf eating, part two, if double brood means this cycle will
repeat. But even knowing the havoc
they will wreak, could I really start whacking away at a moth that is so
reminiscent of a sausage that hails from my family’s hometown of Bologna? I think not.
So we need to amend that- “Innocent even AFTER being proved
Guilty”. And to be honest, this is
only one species of caterpillar from at least a dozen different kinds that
covered my deck, crawled up our walls, shed their exoskeletons all over the
place and were allowed to make it to the pupa stage, which they are now in, all
in the name of science and a general curiosity to see what leads to what in
this Lepidoptera rich yard I have inherited. Expect more blogs on remorse to follow. Well, remorse isn’t really the right
word, for I am enjoying it all, even if some plants, perhaps, wish I would take
a more protective role.
Enlightenment is maybe the better word. Stay tuned then, more enlightenment to follow.
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