Welcome to the club.
Update! There are 6, last count. Several ran away. One is in pupate mode. It went to neighboring pot, crawled up a basil and is getting firmly attached to the stem. It has been there 2 days, and is definitely hunching now, I wish another would go into this mode as it means I don't have to forage for food for it! One is from another batch and is still real small.
I can understand the birds staying away from them. They can stink! When I have had to move one, with a paper towel, it sticks out that orange forked 'tongue' out front and P-U!
I can understand the birds staying away from them. They can stink! When I have had to move one, with a paper towel, it sticks out that orange forked 'tongue' out front and P-U!
Another update.Could do hourly, but will try to be polite!
One in pupate mode, on a basil stem. It was hunchin', curving etc,after about 2 days of comatose. I had been checking, in 1 hr time turning spooky green chrysalis.
Baby one I got on fresh parsley I picked up today from Whole foods.
Another has been moved around, walks away, captured brought back. Is on new parsley.
Was out cleaning one garden and found one of the run-aways. Laying down, comatose, in that humped position I scooped carefully to a pot location.
In all this got a new Kitty.
Life is good!
One in pupate mode, on a basil stem. It was hunchin', curving etc,after about 2 days of comatose. I had been checking, in 1 hr time turning spooky green chrysalis.
Baby one I got on fresh parsley I picked up today from Whole foods.
Another has been moved around, walks away, captured brought back. Is on new parsley.
Was out cleaning one garden and found one of the run-aways. Laying down, comatose, in that humped position I scooped carefully to a pot location.
In all this got a new Kitty.
Life is good!
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applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30551
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Susan, you're truly obsessed! 
Isn't it wonderful though? Almost every day, I'm seeing black swallowtails, tiger swallowtails, and a new kind of swallowtail that I'm thinking might be a spicebush, though it could be a black form female tiger swallowtail. Today a very raggedy looking Monarch -- just flew in from a long flight looking -- was very nervously flying around.
I expect to be seeing eggs and caterpillars in my garden, too, soon.
The tiger swallowtails I see are usually very fresh-looking, so I'm thinking they're newly eclosed from somewhere nearby. I saw an old, worn out looking black form female the other day. I saw it first up in the sky, near the top of the Sweetgum trees, was trying to ID it, wondering what it could possibly be doing up there. After it came down to rest in the apple tree and I could see what it was, I thought it might have been laying eggs.
Isn't it wonderful though? Almost every day, I'm seeing black swallowtails, tiger swallowtails, and a new kind of swallowtail that I'm thinking might be a spicebush, though it could be a black form female tiger swallowtail. Today a very raggedy looking Monarch -- just flew in from a long flight looking -- was very nervously flying around.
I expect to be seeing eggs and caterpillars in my garden, too, soon.
The tiger swallowtails I see are usually very fresh-looking, so I'm thinking they're newly eclosed from somewhere nearby. I saw an old, worn out looking black form female the other day. I saw it first up in the sky, near the top of the Sweetgum trees, was trying to ID it, wondering what it could possibly be doing up there. After it came down to rest in the apple tree and I could see what it was, I thought it might have been laying eggs.
Update again!
The one that went into chrysalis should be about ready to make its debut as a butterfly. It is on a basil stem (in a pot). I trimmed back the basil to give it room, and set pot in a laundry hamper.
The one that was later than the others was ready to find a nesting stick yesterday afternoon. It kept trying to run off. I spent over 2 hrs getting it back in the pot with sticks. Those things are fast! In 5 minutes would be taking off! Well, finally got it in the basil pot with extra sticks, wore it out, and it is clinging to a little stick. Whew!
Parsley plants are showing green again.
When I go through these games next summer will be fun with the little one. G-son is just 15 mths now, by next year will be able to watch the critters eat etc.
The one that went into chrysalis should be about ready to make its debut as a butterfly. It is on a basil stem (in a pot). I trimmed back the basil to give it room, and set pot in a laundry hamper.
The one that was later than the others was ready to find a nesting stick yesterday afternoon. It kept trying to run off. I spent over 2 hrs getting it back in the pot with sticks. Those things are fast! In 5 minutes would be taking off! Well, finally got it in the basil pot with extra sticks, wore it out, and it is clinging to a little stick. Whew!
Parsley plants are showing green again.
When I go through these games next summer will be fun with the little one. G-son is just 15 mths now, by next year will be able to watch the critters eat etc.
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applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30551
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
You're planning your next summers brood already, eh? I'd say you are HOOKED.
I decided to make some pickles yesterday and cut off the first dill head without remembering to check.... There were 5 newborns in that flower head. I saw them the moment the pruner finished severing the stem. I showed to my DD8 and she said they were lucky I saw them before I put them in the pickle jar and poured hot brine over them. There was one more on another dill head, so now we have 6 1st instar Black Swallowtail babies. (I put the dill head in a tall shot glass of water and put the whole thing in a big-gulp cup.
This morning, I found the first Monarch eggs in our garden. Monarchs have been visiting for the past week or so but they were all males until this one. 7 eggs and 1 newly hatched instar, so the Lady Monarch must have been here in the last couple of days or so.
12 eggs/cats in the nursery to start off the 2010 Butterfly Project.
Susan, you might want to consider starting a Monarch Waystation garden. Check out www.monarchwatch.org. They have full details and also sells starter mixed milkweed seed packet.
I'd say you are HOOKED. I decided to make some pickles yesterday and cut off the first dill head without remembering to check.... There were 5 newborns in that flower head. I saw them the moment the pruner finished severing the stem. I showed to my DD8 and she said they were lucky I saw them before I put them in the pickle jar and poured hot brine over them. There was one more on another dill head, so now we have 6 1st instar Black Swallowtail babies. (I put the dill head in a tall shot glass of water and put the whole thing in a big-gulp cup.
This morning, I found the first Monarch eggs in our garden. Monarchs have been visiting for the past week or so but they were all males until this one. 7 eggs and 1 newly hatched instar, so the Lady Monarch must have been here in the last couple of days or so.
12 eggs/cats in the nursery to start off the 2010 Butterfly Project.
Susan, you might want to consider starting a Monarch Waystation garden. Check out www.monarchwatch.org. They have full details and also sells starter mixed milkweed seed packet.
I usually don't grow parsley, but had put some in, figuring would get eaten. The discussion that started here helped me along with the other props. I will add that mine turned their noses up at carrot tops, but did like the organic parsley from Whole Foods!
And as mentioned, this will be more fun as Lil' Dan gets a bit older.
Monarchs? My place is a way-station for the migrating fall monarchs. The Mexican sage starts blooming end of August, stays until frost around 1st Nov. The hummingbirds and monarchs both like it and hang around for awhile. I see a few around in the summer, but haven't noticed the caterpillars. I do have a couple of nice butterfly weeds (bright orange flowers), but don't really want them eating them to the ground!
And as mentioned, this will be more fun as Lil' Dan gets a bit older.
Monarchs? My place is a way-station for the migrating fall monarchs. The Mexican sage starts blooming end of August, stays until frost around 1st Nov. The hummingbirds and monarchs both like it and hang around for awhile. I see a few around in the summer, but haven't noticed the caterpillars. I do have a couple of nice butterfly weeds (bright orange flowers), but don't really want them eating them to the ground!
It hatched! One new swallowtail butterfly! I saw the chrysalis changing colors and was watching close, not close enough. Checked on it to see a butterfly! I left it is its cage aka laundry hamper for a couple hours and it seemed to have plenty of strength. Opened up and away it flew!
Next one should be about this time next week. Stay tuned!
Next one should be about this time next week. Stay tuned!
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applestar
- Mod
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- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Yay!
So the Monarchs don't stay to lay eggs in your garden? I think I get the ones that come up the Cape May corridor. In my garden, they seem to prefer the COMMON Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) to lay eggs on, Swamp Milkweed (A. incarnata) 2nd. The caterpillars won't eat Butterfly Weeds (A. tuberosa) unless they've finished off the syriacas and incarnatas and are hungry.
However, syriacas only have few blooms left tuberosa are 1/2 way done (they may flower more if I remove the seedpods), and incarnatas are just starting to open, so they're all valuable nectar sources.
So the Monarchs don't stay to lay eggs in your garden? I think I get the ones that come up the Cape May corridor. In my garden, they seem to prefer the COMMON Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) to lay eggs on, Swamp Milkweed (A. incarnata) 2nd. The caterpillars won't eat Butterfly Weeds (A. tuberosa) unless they've finished off the syriacas and incarnatas and are hungry.
However, syriacas only have few blooms left tuberosa are 1/2 way done (they may flower more if I remove the seedpods), and incarnatas are just starting to open, so they're all valuable nectar sources.
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applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30551
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I spotted a Black Swallowtail caterpillar on a dill stalk today while taking pictures of the garden, so I aimed my camera, and noticed the strangest thing.
At normal exposure, even though I could see the caterpillar plainly by eye, the camera couldn't capture the caterpillar. It was over-exposed and blended with the dill stalk. You can, in fact, see it in the photo here, but in my camera's 2-1/2" display, all I could see was white...
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7829.jpg[/img]
I had to go -2 exposure (is that "push" or something else in photography lingo?) to get a 1/2 way decent photo of the caterpillar:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7830.jpg[/img]
Look who it was sharing the dill stalk with
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7831.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7820.jpg[/img]
At normal exposure, even though I could see the caterpillar plainly by eye, the camera couldn't capture the caterpillar. It was over-exposed and blended with the dill stalk. You can, in fact, see it in the photo here, but in my camera's 2-1/2" display, all I could see was white...
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7829.jpg[/img]
I had to go -2 exposure (is that "push" or something else in photography lingo?) to get a 1/2 way decent photo of the caterpillar:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7830.jpg[/img]
Look who it was sharing the dill stalk with
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7831.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7820.jpg[/img]
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Found one of these late instar swallowtail caterpillars on my parsley. I was going to get a picture of it, but apparently MyHoney has the camera. Maybe later. Anyway, thought about bringing it in, because I know from past experience that the birds get a lot of these. Decided to just make the row cover tent for it instead. That should let it stay where it is but protected.
It will be fun to watch. This late in the season this may be one that is going to overwinter in its chrysalis...
It will be fun to watch. This late in the season this may be one that is going to overwinter in its chrysalis...