Habitat Hacks: Doug Tallamy - If You Plant Natives, Native Insects will Show Up

This caterpillar showed up on Virginia Creeper Vine last summer. It may be Virginia Creeper Sphinx (Darapsa myron). Doug Tallamy's books and presentations make the case for planting native plants on our suburban yards to restore habitat and and provide environmental benefits.

We let native Virginia Creeper colonize under shrubs in recent years--we didn't have to buy it, it just showed up, as will several other beneficial native plants.

More on Sphinx (Darapsa myron): https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.

More on Doug Tallamy, and his books on the importance of native plants in our yards: https://homegrownnationalpark.org/tallamys-hub-1

Doug Tallamy Presentation to Madison NJ Environmental Commission, Fall 2022:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anjQNC2jppg