What Does Wisteria Attract?

Skippers

• Although classified as butterflies, skippers are known for their bulky, moth-like appearance. The long-tailed skipper has brown upper forewings spotted with cream and bluish-black upper hind wings with long, black "tails." Undersides of both forewings and hindwings are varying shades of brown. The wings of the silver-spotted skipper vary from light brown to brownish black and are uniform in color from top to bottom. There is an orange stripe on the upper and under forewing. The underside of the hindwing has a metallic, white stripe.

Marine Blue

• The marine blue butterfly is found in southern California, throughout the southwest and down to Guatemala. Occasionally, wanderers will migrate northeast and can be found in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Indiana and Louisiana. The undersides of both forewings and hindwings are grayish brown with thick, wavy bands of white. The upper portion of both the forewings and hindwings of males are purple near the body, spreading to blue at the wingtips. Females are blue near the body spreading to a coppery brown at the wingtips.

Zarucco Duskywing

• This unassuming butterfly can be found from North Carolina south to the Florida Keys and east to Texas and Oklahoma with occasional specimens found in Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Both upper and lower forewings and hindwings are mottled deep reddish brown and black. Wing margins are fringed and rimmed with faint, light red spots.

Pests

• All plants attract some unwanted attention, and wisteria is no exception. Scales, both the armored, wisteria scale and the soft, calico scale, are known pests. Scales are circular, immobile and scabby in appearance. They use piercing mouthparts to suck sap from stems and leaves. Aphids are soft-bodied, pear-shaped pests that also suck sap. They typically attack young, tender growth and cause curled or distorted leaves and flowers. There are several species of longhorned borers that can attack wisteria. They are elongated beetles and can be dark brown to brightly colored or metallic. They are most easily recognized by their long antennae that resemble horns.