Date: 08/05/2015

Number: 1

I was excited to find more than 20 fourth and fifth stage caterpillars during my MLMP survey last Friday. But a shock came on Sunday when I went out to enjoy the cats. Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars had decimated the plants. Bare milkweed stems stuck up like trees after a forest fire throughout the patch. The beautiful fourths and fifths were trying to feed on the remaining leaves, three fifths were on the same ravaged plant.

The tussock caterpillars were still at it and lie side by side in blocks upon leaves as the leaves seem to vanish beneath them. They were vaporizing the plants.

I could not let this possible Mexico generation go to waste. I began bringing them in. Eight fifths went into J's that night. Today, three days later, 16 chrysalises have formed and another 30 or so caterpillars are being fed from milkweed brought in from another site.

Each day I search for caterpillars in the desolate patch, hoping not to find more. But today I found a small fifth lying parallel along a bare stem. Hopefully this one will be the last.

Goshen, IN

Latitude: 41.6 Longitude: -85.8

Observed by: Julia
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