Author Topic: Gulf Frittilary on passion vine  (Read 804 times)

Julie

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Gulf Frittilary on passion vine
« on: June 21, 2021, 04:35:51 PM »
These caterpillars which turn into butterflies are eating my passion vine i planted recently. I feel bad killing butterflies, should I leave them? Will they go away soon?

W.

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Re: Gulf Frittilary on passion vine
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2021, 04:47:34 PM »
There was a thread on gulf frittilaries a while ago: https://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=40992.msg402758#msg402758.

I think the consensus is that they do not really affect passion fruits enough to matter.

roblack

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Re: Gulf Frittilary on passion vine
« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2021, 05:08:39 PM »
Should be fine unless your vine is weak or minuscule and cannot handle a little munchin'. I have grown many passion vines for years here in SoFL. Never have needed to use pesticides or even manual removal of pests. 

Kuhyay

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Re: Gulf Frittilary on passion vine
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2021, 05:13:15 PM »
I leave them because passion fruit vines are vigorous enough to outgrow any insect damage. The butterflies are good pollinators too!
Kenny

skhan

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Re: Gulf Frittilary on passion vine
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2021, 05:49:17 PM »
These caterpillars which turn into butterflies are eating my passion vine i planted recently. I feel bad killing butterflies, should I leave them? Will they go away soon?
They've killed my vine before
Mainly because the hit it before it established.

Because of this i spray BT until the tree has enough leaf mass to support fruit and caterpillars.
I haven't sprayed my recent vine for around a year.
Its taken off, I have great shade on my pergola, plenty of fruit, and see a bunch of butterflies everyday

Julie

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Re: Gulf Frittilary on passion vine
« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2021, 10:20:12 PM »
Mine is not established I just planted it recently from a 3 gallon... I’ll see if it survives because worst comes to worst I can get another nursery plant :/

Thank you for the replies I feel hopeful that things will be ok!

Timbogrow

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Re: Gulf Frittilary on passion vine
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2021, 07:15:26 AM »
The passion fruit vine seeds germinate super easy and then you have enough so if you lose 1 you have a spare or can give to family/ friends.

Julie

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Re: Gulf Frittilary on passion vine
« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2021, 11:16:57 AM »
I’m growing some seedlings from a yellow passion fruit and sweet granadilla that I loved the fruit from. The butterflies are eating my sweet sunrise plant from the nursery. I wanted to try both in case my seedlings weren’t successful.

popnull

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Re: Gulf Frittilary on passion vine
« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2021, 05:41:23 PM »
You can just pick them off as long as your vine isn't super huge and unmanageable.

They actually hurt my vine by making my vine susceptible to pseudamonas and it killed the entire vine and made the fruit stop developing.

It's a balance I guess 🤔 kind of annoying since I actually think they are pretty butterflies. Zebra longwing also go in it too.

If I were to do it again I'd spray copper on them to help reduce the risk of the infection.

Mike T

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Re: Gulf Frittilary on passion vine
« Reply #9 on: June 24, 2021, 08:49:31 AM »
I experience ambivalence when I find capaneus, ambrax, orchards, dingy swallowtails and even emperor moth caterpillars on my citrus, I have similar feeling when I see green spotted triangles, blue triangles and green triangles on my Annonas, They might not be birdwings, ullysses cruisers or red lacewings but they are still nice. I spotted some northern jezabels and even a black and white tit in the yard and I am relieved that like big greasies and dingy rings they won't mess with my plants. Hell I even left a macleays spectre in my jackfruit tree lately so I must be going soft.