Swallowtail!

[rainbowgardener]

In my experience, those swallowtail caterpillars have a very high mortality rate. I can have a parsley plant with ten of them on it and every day fewer. Even the ones that make it to chrysalis, may not survive.

If you want to increase your population, probably best to bring them in, in a jar and protect them to adulthood.

[Susan W]

Update here! One of the giants is trying to pupate. I was out today, and before I left it was on a twig in the cage. I freshened the bud vase for the other (clean water, more rue etc). Even this PM, the one has purged, moving around, albeit slow, the smaller one still eating.

Now, the black swallowtails. At one time could be concerned. This season they are abundant, well eggs and cats! If they were a pest, would call it worrisome. There were some on the parsley, but lately using the rue. Eggs and mini new cats too many to count! I've watching several grow and grow, then go on their next journey. I have plenty in the mesh cages. 1st eclosed yesterday, and that will be a daily happening for a couple of weeks. Then the Babies! I'm running a nursery! Some of the sprigs brought in have eggs/now babies.

Ever hopeful the monarchs will be here, and trying to have clean cages for them.

[applestar]

I would LOVE to see Giant Swallowtails in my garden, too....

Spicebush Swallowtail is another one that I'm waiting for.

[Susan W]

They are multiplying! Yesterday saw 4 swallowtails enjoying the warm sunny afternoon. One looked very fresh and was stretching while on some zinnias. One flying between rue and flowers, probably laying eggs. 2 on a hot date. Yes there will be more! 2 of mine eclosed this AM. I let one out and it flew strong. The other will be released shortly. It was still just hatched and wrinkled when I first saw it.

The swallowtails won't just hang as do the monarchs. They start to get active within 1 -2 hours

[Susan W]

Yesterday I noticed a large dark swallowtail. Bigger than the black swallowtail, and not sure what it was. In checking up, could be the dark version (female) of the tiger swallowtail. The regular yellow and black ones are common in the yard.

Then today looked out and there was a zebra swallowtail enjoying the flowers. It was hitting on the garlic chives in bloom. As its host plant is the pawpaw, not sure where shrub is. I'm just 2 long blocks from our major urban park that includes The Old Forest (which is on my side of park). Thee are also untended hedge areas within a couple of blocks. Not sure how far the adult butterfly flies from chrysalis location.

[Susan W]

I'm so pretty! Came outjoy the sunshine and flowers.

[Susan W]

oops. Typing on itty bitty keyboard is nuts. Should be came out to enjoy the sunshine and flowers. This one urged out of cage a bit early, and needed time to re-arrange itself and get strength before flying off.

[Summerlee340]

[attachment=0]IMAG5366.jpg[/attachmentHi,

I'm new to this group and have no clue about butterflies - just that I love watching them. I live on Long Island, NY. Anyhow, mid August (2016) I saw two caterpillars on my parsley plants. I looked them up and I believe they're black swallowtails. Every day I would watch them and they got huge in a matter of days. They were doing great -munching away, but it got pretty cold the last two evenings - they were fine the day before, but this morning it appears they have died. They're not on the parsley - they're just laying on the ground in my Vegtrug. Are they in the next phase perhaps?

[applestar]

Most caterpillars will travel away from their food plants when they are ready to turn into chrysalis. Black swallowtail will take their position by attaching their back end to a - typically- vertical surface/stick, then securing their "shoulders" to the stick with two strong lines so that they can lean back at an angle.

It's hard to tell the orientation from this photo, but I think thats what this caterpillar is doing.

I've found Monarch butterfly chrysalis +/- 40 feet away from the nearest milkweed which is their larval food. I had my eyes on literally dozens of 4th and 5th instar Monarch caterpillars that must have turned into chrysalises (or were killed at the last minute by tachnid fly maggots bursting out of them like a scene from Alien, leaving behind limp flaccid oozing skin of the caterpillar) but I can't find anything anywhere. They are very good at finding hiding places to spend the next 7-10 days as chrysalis -- tho sometimes their idea of hiding places are goofy.

[rainbowgardener]

ummm ... summerlee. Those are strawberries, not parsley that the caterpillar is on. (Though I agree that parsley would be more typical).

strawberry plant:



parsley plant: (italian flat)

[ButterflyLady29]

Since insects are ectothermic they don't do much other than set around and look dead when the weather is cold. They'll perk up and turn into chrysalises once it warms up a bit. Black Swallowtails overwinter as a chrysalis.