Butterfly Bush Help

[Ocean Lover]

Today we had our first visitors. A black swallowtail and what I first thought was a hummingbird. It was the weirdest thing. It looked like a bee and a hummingbird mix. :shock: I did a little research and discovered it was a hummingbird moth. There were two of them and they were so quick I couldn't get a good picture of them. Must have been a male and a female b/c one was brighter and prettier than the other.

This is where I need the help...some kind of insect is eating the leaves. If I treat the bush with insecticide will it harm the butterflies? You can see the holes in the leaves in this picture.

 

[Allifunn]

aren't they unusual creatures?? I have seen one only once in my life! I was freeked out!

I know nothing about horticulture...so i can't help you with the questions....

 

[30A Skunkape]

You saw one of these guys, a sphinx moth. The caterpillars are the big green ones smiling joe finds in his tomatoes! You can buy 'organic' insecticides and spray the leaves, sparing the flowers.

 

[Ocean Lover]

aren't they unusual creatures?? I have seen one only once in my life! I was freeked out!

I know nothing about horticulture...so i can't help you with the questions....

I was confused and freaked out. It amazes me that these things are around all the time and never see them. I planted this bush 4 years ago and last year was the first year I saw so many different kinds of butterflies. I it. This sphinx hummingbird moth thing was kewl. Maybe they will come back.

Thanks Skunkape, I think I have some of the organic stuff, I'll just spray the leaves.

 

[Ocean Lover]

One of them looked like this and the other was a brighter color,,brownish orange I think.

 

[Allifunn]

One of them looked like this and the other was a brighter color,,brownish orange I think.

Yep...that is what I saw too! the thing that freeked me out was the way it sucks the nectar...with that long tube that folds up! Not at all like a hummingbirds beak! The wings were flapping just like a HB...so I really could not see the body........wild!

 

[Mango]

I freaked out too when I saw one of those. Only once though. Zipped right by me like a little airplane. I thought it was a mutant or something. Told my husband we better check the radon levels! :funn:
But the bee/hummingbird mix did not look like the picture above? It did look like 30A Skunkapes though. Did you say there were 2 kinds from your research? I agree too with the organic.

 

[Cil]

We used to see those hummingbird moths all the time in Colorado.
They are kinda freaky!
The funny thing is they would go to my flowers rather than my butterfly bush.
I'd go organic, you might find something good at this site, I've had great luck with it:
Gardens Alive

 

[Ocean Lover]

I freaked out too when I saw one of those. Only once though. Zipped right by me like a little airplane. I thought it was a mutant or something. Told my husband we better check the radon levels! :funn:
But the bee/hummingbird mix did not look like the picture above? It did look like 30A Skunkapes though. Did you say there were 2 kinds from your research? I agree too with the organic.

There are several different types of Sphinx moths, hummingbird moth being one of them. What's that Bug?

 

[Ocean Lover]

We used to see those hummingbird moths all the time in Colorado.
They are kinda freaky!
The funny thing is they would go to my flowers rather than my butterfly bush.
I'd go organic, you might find something good at this site, I've had great luck with it:
Gardens Alive

Thanks Cil!