Our garden has been visited by the greatest number of butterflies I have ever seen. It seems that they have been visiting other Austin gardens. Pam at Digging photographed them in her inlaws garden, and Joseph at Round Rock garden. in his garden. Both identified them as the Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta. What a lovely name. I identified the caterpillar but have not seen any in my garden. The coreopsis seems to be their favorite flower.
These tomato horn worms, Manduca quinquemaculata, are not welcome in my garden. Known more commonly as the sphinx, hawk or hummingbird moth, they were here in the garden a few weeks ago feeding on the yellow columbines. They are here every year, but never in the numbers I am seeing this year. Can you imagine the assault on this poor tomato. I found 5 on one plant. A poor plant that had already suffered having its top lopped off by some other creature.Every year our oak trees are infested with Oak leaf rollers. This year...none. However, the garden is overrun with all kinds of other types of caterpillars.
I found two tomatoes on the ground the other morning. I thought it must be a squirrel until I pulled them out and saw this. New one on me. They aren't even horn worms.
