Oh but I hate these beautiful little butterflies. They are particularly active in spring and early summer. I don’t see them in January and February in Perth and suspect it is just too hot.
I squish them and their caterpillars, turning them back into the soil.
Species:
Identification:
Adult:
Eggs:
Caterpillar:
Damage:
They will munch your greens leaving the tell tale holes you see above. The caterpillars are hard to spot as you can see.
Control:
I usually spray my chili plants and greens with Dipel and pyrethrum (my go to natural insecticide spray) if I notice any damage. I found the first time I used Dipel was amazing. I didn’t think the caterpillars were doing that much harm to the plant but the returning plant vigor proved that wrong.
Ben swears by the use of butterfly shaped cardboard cutouts and I use egg shells. Both methods are thought to make the laying females move along to another patch.
More Resources:
- See more BadCritters here
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