At our little homestead we have more than enough canyon grape vines (Vitis arizonica) to share with the voracious caterpillars of the western grape skeletonizer. That said, I doubt I’ll get an invitation to be a spokesperson for the vintners of the Willcox wine region (the wine capitol of Arizona!) if I’m heard happily jabbering about western grape skeletonizers. But listen, I suspect the vineyards have Harrisina metallica pretty well figured out and I learned that there are organic ways to deal with these native rascals in a vineyard setting. Problem solved.
The photos are mine. The moth is on the flowers of white brush (Aloysia gratissima) blooming conveniently below some canyon grape in our yard. The munching caterpillars look like they’re wearing colorful striped sweaters.
Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a native bunch grass that is easily identified, especially in the late summer and fall when the silvery seed...
The botanical name of Wright’s Beebrush is Aloysia wrightii. It used to be Lippia wrightii, well actually it has gone back and forth, but...
I love following the drainages out of the mountains and across the deserts, observing all the plants and animals that follow them as well....