My first Question Mark...

Yay!


I'm so excited!




I just spotted my very first Question Mark caterpillar on a little elm tree by the creek on my walk with the doggies this morning!

I'd only seen pictures in books, so this was quite thrilling {ok...I know I'm such a nerd}.

If you disturb it, the caterpillar looks like the punctuation mark it's named for. They love to munch on elm trees, hop vines and hackberry trees.












The adult butterflies prefer to sip juices from rotting fruit, tree sap and animal droppings {yuck!}. You can often find them perching, head down, on the side of a tree trunk.


I just love their wing shape..it kind of looks like a ragged old leaf...very cool!











With any luck, I may find a chrysalis on this afternoon's walk!