I offer you a Mystery Twofer.
First, Mystery Flower #6.
I found this flower growing alongside the walking path in a sunny area. It has a sickeningly sweet smell, as I recall, and is very popular with the insects. This picture was taken in June.
Enter Mystery Thing #4.
I hate to be repetitive by using more mystery caterpillars, but they’re so darned cute. These ones have black, yellow, and white spikes—a crazy “hairdo” that looks like it was done by a gel-happy kid. These greedy little things have barely left themselves any leaf to walk on. Unless I’m mistaken, that leaf was from the same type of plant as the Mystery Flower above (hint, hint). This picture was taken in August.
Can you guess the identities of this flower and caterpillar combo?
I think that this flower is common milkweed. In the same area where I took the picture there are now plants with pods that will, I hope, soon burst so I can see if I’m right.
Knowing that monarchs love milkweed, I thought the caterpillars must be monarchs-to-be. I was wrong. A monarch caterpillar doesn’t have any hair. These are most likely milkweed tiger moth caterpillars. They look just like the picture in my field guide and they were sitting on milkweed, which makes me sure enough that I’d bet $5 on it. Alas, the moths that they will become are not nearly so attractive. The aptly nicknamed “Harlequin Caterpillar” will stop clowning around and don some plain-Jane whitish wings.
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