While working in the vegetable garden this morning, I came across this beauty again on the Willow Leaf Lima Beans! I had observed it earlier and it was smaller and a little more dark golden. Looks a little like Sherry's Salt Marsh Moth cat...and I have observed one visit the kitchen window one March night, before the beans were even up. I particularly like the fine dark spots alligned along the dorsal side.








Arlan
USDA Zone 8b
Lower Alabama

That could very well be a SMM cat. They're extremely variable in color, raning from blonde to almost black!
Great picture!
Sherry

Arlan, I've been seeing two cats identical to yours feeding in my garden lately. Today, one was eating passiflora biflora and the other one was eating the flower on a Mexican flame vine, but I've seen them eating honeyvine and other plants. I'm almost positive they're salt marsh moth cats, because their mouths look just like the ones I raised last year. I decided to bring them in to raise myself - I guess I can feed them most anything, since they're the ultimate generalists!

Sherry

Sherry, this cat was gone the very next morning. I don't know if it was final instar or not...hopefully it was. Sounds like you will get photo ops again with SMM! I think they are attractive.

Watch out!!.... because I just figured out some macro settings for my camera. Hopefully we'll have some better photos from Arlan!

I saw my first Gray Hairstreak today also!! Got a picture, but it isn't too good...enough to identify it though.

Arlan
USDA Zone 8b
Lower Alabama

My salt marsh moth cats are changing, looking more like last year's SMM cats!
I got a head's on view of one of them - look's like a witch doctor to me!

Sherry