Isn’t it interesting how plants and insects go together? We have the queen butterflies (from last week) in our yard because we have desert milkweed plants. This year we planted a birdhouse gourd,

and this year we have…

budworms. Budworms are the caterpillar of a moth. They specialize in eating flower buds, although they will also nibble leaves. This one is feeding upside down, with its head in the bud.

Here I opened the bud.Can you see the tiny brown dots in a row along its sides? Those are the openings called spiracles. Insects get their oxygen through those openings.

Budworms come in a variety of colors, including bright pink. The moths are drab with a faint olive green cast.

I wonder what we should plant next.

Do you have plants that attract a particular insect in your yard?