DEAR JOAN: I have a lot of caterpillars on my passionflower vines. I thought they were monarch butterflies, but after looking more closely, I realized the caterpillars don't look like the monarch caterpillars or those of the viceroy, which looks a lot like the monarch.
Do you know what they are?
DEAR GARY: Those are Gulf fritillary butterflies, which have the same coloration as the monarch but with a different pattern.
The Gulf fritillary, which gets its name because it migrates over the Gulf of Mexico, have a large range that includes Argentina, Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean, the southern part of the United States and along the West Coast. They are rarely seen north of the Bay Area.
As you've discovered, the caterpillars love the passionflower, feeding exclusively on the various species. Scientists believe that the cultivation of the passionflower is what has led the fritillary to expand into California.
The caterpillars are less than 2 inches long and are bright orange with a row of black spines, which are soft to the touch. The combination of orange and black tells predators that the caterpillar is toxic, and it is.
You can tell the caterpillar is ready to create its chrysalis when it turns a grayish color. The caterpillar hangs upside down from a ball of "silk," then sheds its skin and head. Underneath is a dusky pink skin that hardens and turns brown, resembling a dried leaf. After two to three weeks, the chrysalis splits and the butterfly slowly emerges head first.
DEAR JOAN: I enjoy your column, but will you tell your pet-loving friends that pets are not the same as children?
DEAR J.B.: My pet-loving friends know the difference. I won't tell them not to love their pets.
Some good news
Last week I wrote about two Chihuahuas who had been tied to a fence at an Antioch park with a "free" sign. The anxious dogs got free of their tether and began running.
People tried to rescue the dogs, but one was killed in the parking lot and the other was grabbed by a coyote.
We thought the dog had been killed, but the East Bay Regional Park District rangers at Contra Loma Regional Park managed to get the dog away from the coyote and get it emergency care.
The dog was pregnant and the trauma she suffered caused a miscarriage. She is recovering from her wounds, but still is emotionally traumatized by what happened.
The rangers have promised to keep me informed of her progress. We're all hoping that she'll make a full recovery and be ready for that forever home.
Recently a woman wrote in about using bargain sugar for her hummingbird feeder and being unable to get it to dissolve well enough to put it in her feeders.
She was wondering if there was something wrong with the sugar.
Several readers wrote in to say they suspect the sugar was made from sugar beets instead of sugar cane. The beet sugar may not dissolve as well. Those who did use it, however, reported that the hummingbirds turned up their noses at it.