The gulf fritillary have been hanging around the garden a lot, and are especially loving the zinnias right now.
I'm also 90% sure that I saw a monarch flitting around the garden this week. She didn't stop to let me take her picture, but it made me so happy to see that my garden was attracting the lovely and endangered creatures. HOWEVER, I did find these little guys nibbling my milkweed to the ground:
MONARCH CATERPILLARS! 2 of them! At least, as far as I can tell based on my quick internet search. At first, I was a little miffed that they were stripping the milkweed bare, but then I figured that that is what they are there for, caterpillar food. But once I found out they were most likely monarchs, I was so HAPPY they were eating the milkweed. Anything to help them grow big and strong and multiply.
While digging in the veggie beds to do some fall planting, I found this guy. Anyone know what he is? Maybe a moth larvae of some kind? Friend or Foe?
Seems like the aphids found the new butterfly weeds. Lucky for me, the ladybug found the aphids. These milkweed plants really do attract a gambit of wildlife.
As I was watering the Turk's Cap, this leaf-like grasshopper thing popped out of the plant. With further research, it looks like he is a Greater Angle-Wing Katydid (Microcentrum rhombifolium). Pretty interesting looking.
Then there are these guys - cactus bugs - which are having there way with my prickly pears. They are leaving these ugly spots on the cactus. Anyone have any good recommendations on how to get rid of these foes?
And then there are the regulars... like this Carolina wren.
And these lesser goldfinches.
Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to stop by Tina's blog for more gardeners' wildlife recaps.
