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frankiebf

Strange use of host plants for eastern tiger

frankiebf
13 years ago

Today I was in my neighbors yard and a female eastern tiger was hovering around the peach tree in their yard. It then came and landed quickly at a low branch right in front of me and laid an egg, after she laid that egg she flew up higher in the tree and continued laying eggs. I never knew that peach trees were host to eastern tigers..i collected the egg on the low branch and I'm going to try and raise it on peach leaves. Has anyone ever heard of them using this tree before as a host? I'm located in northern Illinois.

Comments (15)

  • bandjzmom
    13 years ago

    Hmmmm...that is strange. I am no expert, but I have never heard of them using Peach. Just to be safe, perhaps you should collect some of their known host plants to feed the cats when they hatch?

  • runmede
    13 years ago

    According to Scotts, "The Butterflies of North America" (CD-ROM). They use peach tree (Prunus persica). This is why I love this CD-ROM. Put it in the drive and you can see a world of information. You can copy texts, but not pictures. For example, these are the host plants listed for the Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus:

    "Hostplants many trees and shrubs (g, ssp. glaucus; c, canadensis; r, rutulus; ?, dubious): Rosaceae: Prunus cerasus (gcr), domestica (g )(and var. galatensis (r)), americana (gr), serotina (gc), pennsylvanica (gc), virginiana (grc), persica (gcr) (ssp. glaucus larvae refuse it), emarginata (r), ilicifolia (rt), armeniaca (r), caroliniana (r), Amelanchier canadensis (c), Crataegus (gc), Malus pumila (gcr), Sorbus americana (c), Cydonia oblonga (g), Rubus? (r); Salicaceae: Populus balsamifera (rc), tremuloides (gcr), grandidentata (c), trichocarpa (r), angustifolia (r), deltoides (g), Salix lasiolepis (r), lasiandra (r), scouleriana (r), exigua (r), babylonica (r), hookeriana (rt), sp. (c); Betulaceae: Betula alba (c), lenta (c), allegheniensis (c), papyrifera (c) var. commutata (r), Carpinus caroliniana (g), Corylus (c), Alnus rugosa (c), incana (g), tenuifolia (r), viridis (r), crispa (rt), rubra (r); Aceraceae: Acer (cr); Juglandaceae: Carya (gc); Ulmaceae: Ulmus (cr); Platanaceae: Platanus racemosa (r); Tiliaceae: Tilia americana (gc); Bignoniaceae: Catalpa bignonioides (g); Magnoliaceae: Liriodendron tulipifera (g), Magnolia(r?) acuminata (g), virginiana (g); Lauraceae: Cinnamomum camphora (g), Lindera benzoin (g), Sassafras albidum var. molle (g), Persea americana (r); Styracaceae: Styrax americana? (g); Oleaceae: Fraxinus (r )americana (gc), nigra (g), caroliniana (g), pennsylvanica (vars. lanceolata (gc )and subintegerrima (c)), "swamp ash" (g), Syringa vulgaris (gcr); Rutaceae: Ptelea trifoliata (g), baldwinii (r), Zanthoxylum americanum (g); Fagaceae: Quercus velutina? (g), chrysolepis (rt). All three ssp. eat Prunus, Malus (rutulus oviposits on this but larvae refuse it), Alnus, Fraxinus, and Syringa, although ssp. rutulus and ssp. canadensis seem to prefer Salicaceae and Betulaceae as well, whereas ssp. glaucus often prefers Liriodendron. Ssp. glaucus larvae die eating Populus tremuloides, and refuse Salix; hybrid glaucus X canadensis larvae survive on Populus and Liriodendron; ssp. canadensis die eating Liriodendron and Lindera benzoin; and ssp. rutulus refuse Liriodendron and Malus (W. Edwards, J. Scriber)."

    It may not be the favored host plant in your area, but its the host plant they used.

  • KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
    11 years ago

    If I knew there was a CD for Scott's book, I had forgotten it. Going to have to get me one. I got the 2001 edition of the book for Christmas 2006. It is a 582 page paperback and I broke the binding fairly quickly. Spent a nice piece of change getting the 1986 hardcover version. Has held up well but I always wonder what updates I'm not seeing. The CD is from 1997, has a lot of stuff not in the book, and the runmede seal of approval, so it sounds like winner.

    KC

  • MissSherry
    11 years ago

    In Butterfly Gardening for the South, the author gives a long list of tiger hosts, including Prunus persica/peach.

    I know of four different hosts that tigers have used just on my property - Prunus serotina/wild black cherry, Ptelea trifoliata/wafer ash, Magnolia virginiana/sweetbay, and Liriodendron tulipifera/tulip tree.

    Tiger swallowtails probably use more different hosts than any other butterfly, at least in my area.

    Sherry

  • KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
    11 years ago

    Wish I had seen that link on Amazon. I bought the expensive way. $50 seemed cheap when the used ones were going for $106. My search included "scott" so I missed the cheap ones.

    Sometimes I catch the cheaper way and sometimes I don't. :(

    As for PC compatible, when are you going to learn how to run Windows software on your Apple? I knew people doing it back in the '90s and it is actually easier to do it these days.

    Crash different. :D

  • butterflymomok
    11 years ago

    Thanks, Coolbutterfly. I just ordered this. Excited to get it and use it.

    Sandy

  • Tony G
    11 years ago

    KC, if we combined your technical skill with my deal finding abilities we'd be unstoppable! lol

    Actually, I don't remember the last time that PC compatibility was an issue...how times have changed!

    Tony

  • bananasinohio
    10 years ago

    Bought one! Man, between the moth smoke detector and this, I need a job!

    Elisabeth

  • four (9B near 9A)
    9 years ago

    Thanks, ordered one just now.
    I would not spend much for something so outdated,
    but $8 ok.
    I will Web search to confirm or update details of sufficient interest.

  • linda_tx8
    9 years ago

    I used to have a peach tree. Borers eventually killed it, but never saw any caterpillars on it.

  • ladyrose65
    9 years ago

    Does anyone know if Scott has put this in a PDF file? I would like to get it.

  • ThatShabbyGuy
    9 years ago

    I know this post is a bit old but I've learned that eastern tigers will lay on most deciduous trees. I've seen them laying on ash, willow, and, my latest odd plant to observe, Ligustrum. I've also been told by a friend who breeds that they love Sweet Gum trees also.

  • KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
    9 years ago

    TSTs eat a lot of different things but sweetgum would surprise me. If it is true, I would have thought myself or someone I know would have brought one in by now. I bring in a lot of sweetgum branches every year and get to raise a variety of species that just happened to be on the branches that I grabbed.

    ladyrose65,
    The book still sells so I doubt it is going to be put in a PDF.

  • four (9B near 9A)
    9 years ago

    > Posted by ThatShabbyGuy
    > I know this post is a bit old
    Now you are fair game for abuse by the intolerant in the cacti forum
    who lie in wait, triggered to lurch.