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Common Balloon Vine - Cardiospermum halicacabum is common
throughout the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and it is the host plant for the Silver-banded Hairstreak - Chlorostrymon
simaethis sarita.
Size comparison of the "balloon" of the Common
Balloon Vine - Cardiospermum halicacabum. The egg is laid on the surface of the seed pod or "balloon";
the caterpillar burrows inside the balloon; each balloon contains one to three seeds, upon which the Silver-banded
Hairstreak larvae feed.
Size comparison of the seed of the Common Balloon Vine
- Cardiospermum halicacabum. Again, the caterpillars feed ONLY on the seeds and never on any
other plant parts. Each pod or "balloon" contains one to three seeds; and, as the seeds are consumed, the
caterpillar will burrow out of the "used-up" balloon and burrow back inside a new balloon.
Day-1 (10/3/2008) The egg is oviposited onto the stem-like
projection where the flower was at the bottom of the "balloon" or seed pod (the balloon is connected
to the vine by a stem at the top of the balloon).
Day-1 (10/3/2008) Note that the egg is green in color; and oddly, the
egg is shaped much like a larva. Again, the egg is placed on the bottom stem-like projection that was left by the flower...this
unusual placement makes egg-hunting for the Silver-banded Hairstreak much easier than hunting for the eggs of other species.
Day-4 (10/6/2008) From when the egg was laid. The egg has turned
a creamy-white color.
Day-6 (10/8/2008) From when the egg was laid; day-2 from eclosing; the
caterpillar has burrowed into the balloon. The hole into the balloon is <1mm in diameter.
Day-6 (10/8/2008) From when the egg was laid; day-2 from eclosing.
The balloon was opened to photograph and measure the caterpillar. Note all the frass around the seed, and note
the hole eaten out of the top of the seed. After being measured and photographed, the caterpillar was placed on the
surface of another fresh balloon, where it quickly burrowed back inside the new balloon. The caterpillar is 2mm long.
Day-6 (10/8/2008) From when the egg was laid; day-2 from eclosing.
Again, after being removed from one balloon in order to be measured and photographed, the caterpillar was placed on the surface
of a fresh balloon, where it burrowed into. The yellowish caterpillar can be seen at about mid-level on the far right
side of the balloon.
Day-10 (10/12/2008 at 1005hrs) From when the egg was laid; day-6
from eclosing. The balloon was opened for measuring and photographing. The caterpillar is 3mm long. The
darkened coloring is indicative of a new instar formation.
Day-10 (10/12/2008 at 1031hrs) From when the egg was laid; day-6 from
eclosing. The old balloon has remained open for photographing. The caterpillar has indeed formed a new instar
and is shedding its skin. The caterpillar is 3mm long.
Day-10 (10/12/2008 at 1152hrs) From when the egg was laid; day-6
from eclosing. The new instar has been placed on a seed for size comparison. The caterpillar is 3mm long.
Day-10 (10/12/2008 at 1321hrs) From when the egg was laid; day-6
from eclosing. The caterpillar has been placed on the surface of a new balloon. Note that it will take about 55
mins for the caterpillar to chew a hole into the new balloon and only about a minute to force itself through the tiny hole
(~1.5mm in diameter) and into the fresh balloon. Again, the caterpillar is just 3mm long.
Day-10 (10/12/2008 at 1343hrs + 3 secs) From when the egg was laid; day-6
from eclosing. The caterpillar began squeezing into the balloon about 3 seconds ago.
Day-10 (10/12/2008 at 1343hrs + 10 secs) From when the egg was laid;
day-6 from eclosing. The caterpillar began squeezing into the balloon about 10 seconds ago.
Day-10 (10/12/2008 at 1343hrs + 20 secs) From when the egg was laid;
day-6 from eclosing. The caterpillar began squeezing into the balloon about 20 seconds ago.
Day-10 (10/12/2008 at 1343hrs + 30 secs) From when the egg was laid;
day-6 from eclosing. The caterpillar began squeezing into the balloon about 30 seconds ago.
Day-10 (10/12/2008 at 1343hrs + 40 secs) From when the egg was laid;
day-6 from eclosing. The caterpillar began squeezing into the balloon about 40 seconds ago.
Day-10 (10/12/2008 at 1343hrs + 50 secs) From when the egg was laid;
day-6 from eclosing. The caterpillar began squeezing into the balloon about 50 seconds ago.
Day-10 (10/12/2008 at 1344hrs) From when the egg was laid; day-6 from
eclosing. The caterpillar began squeezing into the balloon about 60 seconds ago and is inside the balloon.
The hole is now 1.5mm X 3mm.
Day-13 (10/15/2008) From when the egg was laid; day-9 from eclosing.
The balloon was opened for photographing/measuring. The caterpillar was placed onto a new balloon, where it chewed its
way inside. The caterpillar is 6mm long.
Day-15 (10/17/2008) From when the egg was laid; day-11 from eclosing.
The balloon was opened for photographing/measuring. A new instar has been formed. The caterpillar was placed onto
a new balloon, where it chewed its way inside. The caterpillar is 12mm long (doubling in size in two days).
Day-17 (10/19/2008) From when the egg was laid; day-13 from eclosing.
The caterpillar has come out of the balloon and has changed color. The caterpillar is 14mm long.
Day-18 (10/20/2008) From when the egg was laid, day-14 from eclosing.
Having remained on the outside of the balloon for several hours, the caterpillar then climbed down from the stem
with the balloon on it, across and down the glass holding the stem, and into the bottom corner of the insect box. The
caterpillar has shrunken down to 10mm.
Day-19 (10/21/08 at 0851hrs) From when the egg was laid; day-15 from
eclosing; day-1 as a chrysalis. The chrysalis has just begun to form.
Day-19 (10/21/08 at 1921hrs) From when the egg was laid; day-15 from
eclosing; day-1 as a chrysalis. The chrysalis has hardened and has become speckled.
Day-29 (10/31/08 at 0850hrs) From when the egg was laid; day-25 from
eclosing; day-11 as a chrysalis. The chrysalis has not changed in appearance for the past 10 days until now, when it
has begun to darken. Darkening of the chrysalis is indicative of coming emergence.
Day-29 (10/31/08 at 1806hrs) From when the egg was laid; day-25 from
eclosing; day-11 as a chrysalis. The chrysalis has continued to darken for the past 10 hours.
Day-30 (11/1/08 at 0807hrs) From when the egg was laid; day-26
from eclosing; day-12 as a chrysalis. The chrysalis is so dark that emergence will be in a few hours.
Day-30 (11/1/08 at 1657hrs) From when the egg was laid; day-26 from eclosing;
day-12 as a chrysalis. The Silver-banded Hairstreak - Chlorostrymon simaethis sarita has emerged,
and was released back onto our Common Balloon Vine - Cardiospermum halicacabum. Of course I missed the emergence,
since I was out chasing butterflies!
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