Tag: caterpillar

Better with Butterflies The Cloudless Sulphur

by Wayne Hobbs

April 21, 2022

Welcome back to our monthly blog in which we discuss a few interesting facts about butterflies in general and a specific type of butterfly. This month I want to talk about how and what butterflies eat. With very few exceptions butterflies ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Wildlife
Tags: Buttefly, Butterflies, Caterpillar, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Garden, Gardening, Landscape, Landscaping, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Pollinator, Pollinators

It’s Spring! A Dubious Tiger Moth Spotting

by Karen Stauderman

March 31, 2022

The Shrub Spring has sprung, and to celebrate the new season, I recently purchased a new shrub for my landscape. This being Pieris japonica ‘Planow’. Its common commercial name is ‘Mountain Snow’ Pieris. It’s a risky ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease
Tags: Caterpillar, Dubious Tiger Moth, Pieris Japonica

What Are All Of These Caterpillars!?

by Kevin Korus

April 8, 2021

Introduction This Spring has been very favorable for several moth species, and among them is the Tussock Moth. You may be seeing a profuse amount of the moth caterpillars around your home, work or farm. The major host of this caterpillar ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Wildlife
Tags: Caterpillar, Moth, Tussock

Thats not bird droppings…its a giant swallowtail butterfly caterpillar!

by Ken Gioeli

May 6, 2020

The giant swallowtail butterfly's caterpillars are unmistakable. They look like bird droppings. These caterpillars feed on citrus plants hence the nickname "orange dog." The caterpillar below is feeding on Hercules club. References Florida ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease
Tags: #ufbugs, Butterfly, Caterpillar, Orange Dog

What is that Fuzzy Caterpillar Falling from My Oak Tree?

by Julie Schelb

March 25, 2020

Tussock moth caterpillar (Orgyia spp.) Why the oak trees? Over the last couple of weeks, if you have oak trees, you have probably seen tussock moth caterpillars (Orgyia spp.). They crawl all over anything underneath the trees. Oak ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Tags: Caterpillar, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Insects, Jschelb, Master Gardener Volunteer, Oak Tree, Polkgardening, Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Successful Butterfly Gardening

by Liz Felter

March 24, 2020

Spring is the perfect time to add color to your landscape. A butterfly garden can accomplish this goal, and here’s what you need to do. First, find out what butterflies live in your area and concentrate on attracting them to your yard. Here ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Butterflies, Butterfly, Butterfly Garden, Caterpillar, Florida Butterflies, Milkweed, Monarch, Ocextension, Pollinators

Let nature help you

by Ralph Mitchell

December 12, 2019

For every pest, there always seems to be a pest of that pest – a predator, parasite or some type of beneficial organism - that suppresses any aforementioned pest to levels we can live with. One example is the papaya hornworm. The caterpillar ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
Tags: Allamanda, Braconid Wasp, Cassava, Caterpillar, Jatropha, Papaya, Papaya Hornworm, Pest, Sphinx Moth

Should I be worried about the puss caterpillar?

by Anne Yasalonis

October 23, 2019

This little guy has been all over the news recently and can be found in our yards in Polk County. The puss caterpillar, the larvae of the Megalopyge opercularis (or southern flannel moth) is one of the most well-known venomous caterpillars ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Caterpillar, Central Florida, Florida, Hairy Caterpillar, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Polk County, Polkgardening, Polkmg, Puss Caterpillar, Stinging Caterpillar

Found in the Exploration Gardens: Polyphemus Moth Cocoons

by BLOGS.IFAS

February 27, 2019

The polyphemus moth is one of the largest and most beautiful silk moths. It is named after Polyphemus, the giant cyclops from Greek mythology who had a single large, round, eye in the middle of his forehead. The name is because of the large ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Horticulture
Tags: Caterpillar, Cflandscapes, Cocoon, Exploration Gardens, Polyphemus Moth

What’s Eating My Ficus?

by Michelle Leonard-Mularz

May 18, 2018

Skeletonized leaves; Help! Help! What’s killing my Ficus trees? These are the questions, subject lines, and visits to our Extension office that have filled my days the last couple weeks. Residents saying, “It sounds like it’s raining under ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Pests & Disease
Tags: Caterpillar, Edwards Wasp Moth, Ficus, Strangler Fig

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