My Hero!

Gulf Fritillary Butterflies lay their eggs on the passion vines and the resulting caterpillars devour the plant if they are not removed.  Their bitter taste protects them from birds and anything else that might eat them.  However, today I saw a ladybug eating the egg of a Gulf Fritillary Butterfly!

A Ladybug eating the egg of Gulf Fritillary Butterfly

First Passion Flower Bloom for 2017

Today I was checking my passion flower vines for Gulf Fritillary caterpillars when I found the first bloom for 2017!  You can see that the leaves on this vine have been eaten by the Gulf Fritillary caterpillars and I'm going to work really hard this year to keep them in check so they don't devour the vines this year.

Passion Flower

Passion Flower

Gulf Fritillary laying an egg

Here is a photograph that I took of a Gulf Fritillary laying an egg on the leaf of a passion vine.  If you look closely you can see the egg coming out of the butterfly.

Gulf Fritillary

Gulf Fritillary Egg on the leaf of a Passion Vine

Close-up of a Gulf Fritillary Egg on the leaf of a Passion Vine

Gulf fritillary

Gulf Fritillary caterpillars are eating the Passion Vines

I check my passion vines for Gulf Fritillary caterpillars every few days.  When they get out of control they can eat up entire passion vine.  Three years ago my passion vines looked more like sticks because of the Gulf Fritillarys.  Late this afternoon I noticed one caterpillar and on closer examination of four vines there were over 50 caterpillars that were about 3/8" or less.

Gulf Fritillary caterpillar, this was one of the larger ones.

Gulf Fritillary caterpillar, you can see how this one has been eating the edges and a hole in the leaves.

Passion Flower

Despite the caterpillars I have a lot of blooms and they look great!

Passion Flower

Passion Flower

Passion Flower

Passion Flower

Passion Flower

Passion Flower

Passion Flower

Passion Flower