What is the name of th... - Ask Extension
What is the name of the caterpillar/worm that eats parsley leaves and leaves only the stalk? They seem to appear almost overnight. I have had them e...
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What is the name of th... #253626
Asked June 12, 2015, 4:11 PM EDT
What is the name of the caterpillar/worm that eats parsley leaves and leaves only the stalk? They seem to appear almost overnight. I have had them eat my parsley plants that are in the ground or in pots on the deck. Frustrating.
I found the name of the caterpillar - a zebra caterpillar - but they seem to appear almost overnight - where do they come from? Are the larvae deposited on the leaves, which given the lacy structure of curly parsley, that seems like it would be difficult to do. Then how do I protect my plants from these voracious creatures?
Mercer County New Jersey
Expert Response
The caterpillars of the parsleyworm (which pupates into a black swallowtail butterfly), come from eggs that the butterfly lay.
You can hand pick the caterpillars, but we would recommend that you simply plant more parsley so that you can share with the parsleyworms and thus get the butterflies.
EcN
You can hand pick the caterpillars, but we would recommend that you simply plant more parsley so that you can share with the parsleyworms and thus get the butterflies.
EcN
