cat not eating swamp milkweed?

[lydia_in_NJ]

While in Philadelphia I purchased a bouquet of wild flowers from eastern PA, and then when I was discarding the flowers I found a caterpillar. I looked it up online and discovered it was a monarch, eating purple milkweed flowers in the bouquet. I knew I had milkweed at home in southern NJ so I brought the cat home (rather than leave him hungry in Philadelphia!) but he's not eating the milkweed from my garden. After searching online I think maybe I have swamp milkweed and that he had a different kind in the bouquet. Is there a reason this caterpillar won't eat this milkweed? I'm concerned that I won't be able to get the proper kind of milkweed within a day or two, and now he hasn't had anything to eat all day and half of yesterday.

Thanks for your help! I tried the search feature but didn't see anything like this.
-Lydia in NJ

[Mona Miller]

Are you sure you didn't pull dogbane? Dogbane looks a lot like swamp milkweed. Try offering it some common milkweed. If you don't have any in your yard, it can be found along side the road. Where you find it make sure there is sufficient room to park.

http://www.monarchwatch.org/milkweed/guide/index.htm
photo guide for milkweed

http://www.monarchwatch.org/milkweed/guide/syriac.htm
Common milkweed.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MTNonline/
Monarch Teacher Network. Loads of people on here from NJ. They will help you. Post your dilemma.

[lydia_in_NJ]

Oh, I think you're right -- it looks like it must be dogbane! I hadn't seen that monarchwatch photo gallery before -- very helpful, thank you! If I can't find any common milkweed I will ask on the teacher network for help. I once had a monarch pupa on the outside of my kitchen windowsill so there must be milkweed around here somewhere (that's why I thought the dogbane was milkweed, because it's near that window)!

Thanks so much for your help! Caterpillar thanks you too.
-Lydia

[lydia_in_NJ]

I just looked at the patch of plants I was letting grow because I thought it was milkweed -- it seems I have both dogbane (long skinny smooth pea-like pods) and milkweed growing there (the milkweed has the characteristic large spiky pods exactly like the image of the pod online at http://www.monarchwatch.org/milkweed/syriacapods.html). I just grabbed one of the milkweed leaves and put it with the caterpillar -- hopefully he'll (or she'll) eat it!
-Lydia

[Mona Miller]

The caterpillars know what's good to eat. Dogbane is too toxic for them. I'm glad that you were able to do the research and figure this out. Good luck! Great job!

More information. Tiny caterpillars need tender leaves, older caterpillars need more mature leaves.