April 26 2020 Ten pillars with similar pattern but different sizes were found in a garden within 1.5m of each other feeding on five different plants, only one of which was not exotic in Gaborone.
a) One was found on a fully destroyed stem of a commelina which had previously had blue flowers. It is assumed to be Commelina benhalensis, which grows elsewhere in the garden as a weed.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/44154195
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/40741273
b) One was found on a cultivated garden plant
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/44154081
c) Two were found on a large planted garden white lily.
Im still looking for an old photo of the plant in flower for identification.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/43861620
d) Four were found on a small planted aloe which is foreign to Botswana.
e) One was found eating Kalanchoe daigremontiana, a plant from Madagascar, but commonly found cultivated in gardens in Gaborone.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/44153942
MAKING TEMPORARY COCCOONS for skin shedding.
1 On 30April-1 May 2020 the smallest of the pillars made a cocoon on the wall of the plastic container and later emerged with a new skin with very short hairs and more visible blue iridescent spots. The skin could not be found but the head was present. Is it possible that the pillae had eaten its old skin ( which must be nutritious !) ?
The skin change happened overnight.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/44463558
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/44451551
2 On morning of May 9 2020 I noticed that two more pillars had made cocoons.
FEEDING
All the pillars were kept in one container .
I now realise this has been a mistake. I cannot follow up individual pillars which may have different food preferences. Together they also make a lot of poops which I remove every day.
I have been feeding the pillars on the aloe, the large white garden lily and commelina benhalensis. fresh leaves of the last two specieslensis are added daily because I have plenty in my garden. I think the pillars prefer to eat Commelina benghalensis leaves. They no longer touch the aloe but also eat the white garden lily to a lesser extent.
The commelina benghalensis is the only plant found wild in Gaborone.
PICTURES of the heads of the pillars. on May 8 2020. The blue irridescent dots on the segamenrs are clearly visible when photographed with a flash.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/45244832
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Leucaloa eugraphica caterpillar rearing. Gaborone BW
