And it continues

It has been a fantastic year so far for the orange barred sulphur caterpillars. I am always finding more and more when I check my Bahama cassia tree. They blend so well with the leaves, that often times I do not find them until they are closer to creating their chrysalis.

I mean really, is there anything better than inviting so many species of butterflies into your garden, giving you an up close and personal view of their life cycle? I always feel like a little kid every time I spot a butterfly, or caterpillar. A hobby, turned to passion.

And it continues

The Bahama cassia tree is crawling with heaps of orange barred sulphur caterpillars once again. It’s amazing how quickly the lifecycle takes shape, how these caterpillars change from yellow, which is incredibly hard to find, to this amazing coloration that blends in with the tree. The hunt will soon begin of finding their final destination to create their chrysalis.

Leaving the host plant

The orange barred sulphur caterpillars are slowly leaving its host plant, but not traveling to far away. I am still in search of their chrysalis. So far no luck. They are good at hiding!

Right now I do not have any flowers on my Bahama cassia tree, but have read that if the caterpillars eat the leaves they are mostly green, but if they eat the flowers they become yellow. I will definitely have to pay attention when it blooms.

I find it interesting that the orange-barred sulphurs first became established in the late 1920s in Florida. They are uncommon in the panhandle of Florida, but can be seen flying year round in South Florida.

Munching away

My Bahama cassia is crawling with orange barred sulphur caterpillars. It was a lot of fun watching them today munching away on leaves. One looked like a gymnast as it found the perfect leaf to snack upon.

I have decided to watch this batch of caterpillars in nature, which has been fun. Now the hunt has begun, as I know some have reached their perfect size. I wonder where I will find their chrysalis. The chrysalis is the same color of the leaf, and mimics a leaf quite brilliantly.

I am beyond thrilled that the sulphurs have returned to the garden.