Euphydryas phaeton (Baltimore Checkerspots) will eat it in the spring during their 2-5 instar.

Oh Catherine, I know exactly how you feel! And why can't the deer eat it instead of my natives??????

Hi Jeanne,
We have about 33 acres and I'd say the honeysuckle covers about 2/3rds of it. We tried for years to get rid of it (without chemicals), and it just spreads too fast. Its very disheartening. And you're right.......why can't the deer/rabbits/beavers/groundhogs/insects eat it instead of everything native?
I'm trying to accept them and look for the silver lining. So I guess I'll hope for the Baltimore Checkerspots!
I'm hoping we'll find out the leaves cure cancer or something. :)

I've seen large swallowtails use it for nectar. But, I hate it, too. It strangles things when it really gets going.

Ditto to swallowtails using the flowers for nectar, also hummingbirds nectar on them. Between the Japanese honeysuckle, Chinese privet, and Japanese climbing fern I have to struggle to keep my property (5 1/2 acres) from looking like Asia. Unfortunately, I've never found any of it eaten by a caterpillar - what a shame!
Sherry

Hmmmm......I wonder if non-native invasives aren't used for food sources because the native organisms haven't evolved right along with them in our particular eco-system?
These various invasives from Asia aren't a problem in Asia because they are kept in check by their own specific ecosystem.
I think these invasives do so well here because its a similar temperature zone.........but all the other important checks and balances are missing.
Many times I've thought of naming our property "Invasive Acres".

There are a lot of reasons that invasives do well here. It is all balance and counterbalance. First, There are a variety of invasive honeysuckles (if you have not used the USDA's PLANT profiles page, I highly recommend it)Japanese honeysuckle is Lonicera japonica and is a vining type. Lonicera maackii, is the Amur honeysuckle and is the horrible bush type taking over our woods. In some cases, it is true that there are no diseases or pests to keep plants in check. However, in California, there are a lot of butterfly species that have adapted to new invasives (http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabambc/downloads/graves,_shapiro_exotics.pdf). This may be true of a lot of our butterflies. After all, fennel, dill, and parsley are not native. Fennel has become a major host plant in the wild for black swallowtails. Several of our species use plantain.

One of the most interesting thing I read recently is how earthworms are altering our ecosystems. Those large worms that we love so much in the garden are actually invasive themselves. We don't have large native worms in most of the northern United states. These eurasian earthworms do what worms do. They drag organic material down into the earth. What is the problem with that? Well, our forests evolved without them. Tree seedlings and other plant seedlings evolved to germinate in the duff layer (decaying plant material like leaves). Enter the worms that remove this duff layer. Now enter asian and european species of plants and trees (Amur honeysuckle and glossy buckthorn)that are used to earthworms. They can get a strong hold much more easily than our native species in this situation. In addition, the worms like calciferous soil and will change the pH of our acidic forest soils to an alkaline one. All bad news for our native plants and hence native insects and animals. So, one suggested strategy for restoration is actually to spray for worms to help alleviate the problem. So, many of the issues with natives vs. non-natives are complex.

We have a never ending invasives battle in our woods because others think honeysuckle makes for such a good screen. It really sucks...

-Elisabeth

Here is a link that might be useful: The trouble with worms

Thanks for that info Elisabeth. I guess I made a mistake......its the Amur honeysuckle that we have. I guess we could use all the trunks for firewood! Its such a persevering shrub. You can cut it back and it comes back over and over and over......stronger each time.

I'm thinking that we just have to go with the flow of evolution. But it IS a very complex situation.
Its tempting to think that the way things were, are the way we want them to always be and the way they "should" be. But I guess the earth is always in a state of change. Its hard though when the change seems to be a negative one.........which, in terms of "evolution" isn't good or bad.....it just is.
We have some honeysuckle shrubs that are about 15-20' tall. I think the original owner of this property got them from the DNR back in the early 70's. I think every single seed from them grows. I fear we've populated our entire county with them.
Another curious thing.......the original owner planted Russian olive too, but it seemed to die out for many, many years. Last year, however it all started coming back again. :(
DH cleared out a section of honeysuckle out back, and for a year or 2, it was beautiful. We could actually see the forest floor. But....once again, its mostly all honeysuckle. :(
I could go on and on about this, but I'll spare you. :)

Both Hemaris diffinus and Hemaris thysbe could use the Japanese Honeysuckle as a host. I have the Lonicera japonica purpureum as well as Lonicera flava, which is a native to the U.S., and Hemaris diffinus prefers L. flava. I have yet to find any on the Japanese Honeysuckle, but that doesn't mean they don't use it. Most moth sites indicate that they use Honeysuckle species, which would include Lonicera japonica. In my yard where they are offered two species, a non-native and a native, they definitely have shown preference for the native species.

Susan

So sorry Catherine. Sounds very frustrating.
We have Japanese Honeysuckle on our property and even WITH chemicals, it's increasing every year. The vines come up under my shrubs where the birds perch and drop the seeds. I dug out several in my yard this spring, but spotted some Japanese Honeysuckle blooming at the top of one of my viburnums where a vine had snuck in.
Having a row of shrubs for the birds seemed like a wonderful idea but I'm not sure I'm going to be able to keep up with the honeysuckle and other invasives that sprout underneath.