Officially Overwintered Black Swallowtail

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/664892/
On Oct 26, 2006 I started the above thread asking for all your BST overwintering stories, and all of the responses were very helpful and much appreciated. I am happy to say now my experience with this subject is official, and at least for my zone (8-ish) we can chart a definate time a Black Swallowtail will remain in it's chrysalis for the winter. These are the individuals that pupated at the tail end of the breeding season last fall. You might also note that it will align with the official emergence of Spring for your area.
For here in Fort Worth, this year (with the early arrival of Spring), the overwintering time was exactly 137 days

One of the other chrysalids from this same batch was sent to Becky in FL and that one eclosed less than 2 weeks after it arrived in zone 9. You will read all about that adventure here>
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/683232/

The cats raised here last fall in the first thread have begun to eclose here, except for the one that got to go to Florida and see Aunt Becky.(lol)

Yesterday the first one of the 3 I kept here eclosed from hibernation. >>


This message was edited Mar 13, 2007 7:43 PM

This message was edited Mar 13, 2007 10:31 PM

This year I had not seen any BSTs flying around yet, so I decided to keep this little fella in the pen until I one or both of these other 2 eclosed. Then I was outside putting together some path lights, and a female came fluttering through. She emmediatly found the Parsley forest I kept from freezing all winter, and laid at least a half dozen eggs. I knew then I had to release this one.. He would have company now..

Here she is ovipositing on the Parsley>
She was so excited to see such a large hedge of Parsley she wouldn't stay still enough to allow zooming in, lol.

OK, so I cropped her out so you could see>

Here is the one that eclosed yesterday after I released him>

First he went to the tall Snapdragons........

Then he caught wind of the Lemon blossoms, and drank from several of the blooms. He was there quite a while. It was hard to decide from all the pics.

Then he was good to go.... I think he will probably come back to nectar from the Lemon.

I am expecting the other 2 to eclose soon, I will post that here if I can. This is such a busy time of year!


Deb

I still have four swallowtail chrysalids overwintering...1 BST and 3 GST. They pupated near the end of October. There was one rare Ornythion Swallowtail in the mix and that one eclosed last month.

~ Cat

Guess your BST will be eclosing soon then.. Wow you had an Ornythion? Very cool Cat! Didja get a pic?


:-)

This message was edited Mar 13, 2007 8:55 PM

Well, Congratulations on your new emerged Swallowtail! Whoo Hoo! Spring has sprung! lol

Exciting time of year, isn't it? I'm enjoying all the garden visitors in my zone as well. :-) I would imagine that the BST that you sent me has lived out his life and probably mated and has off-spring here in Florida! So the life cycle continues!!! :-)

I think we are all going to see a lot more Butterfly action this year with our newly improved gardens. So many of us added an additional amount of host plants. So it should be a busy year for the winged wonders!!!

♥ Keep those photos coming!!! ♥

Yes...I did get a photo...barely. Don't want to hi-jack your thread so I've include the link to my phost (new word for photo post - ha ha) about it below.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/691525/

Got email earlier in the week - the local NABA and a couple of entolomogist friends are starting to call me the Butterfly Whisperer :o) Seems every year I unknowningly end up raising something rare. Am I lucky or what!!! (Also obtained coontie in the hopes of attracting Atala Hairstreaks from Florida - think they'll fly down here for vacation? HA! HA!)

After reading your post about the BST I'm going to have to get more rue. I have a big pot with three huge plants that are about 2.5 feet all but am going to get more plants before they start showing up. They don't go for parsely or fennel it seems...they do like rue. Haven't tried QAL. Will have to research that.

~ Cat



This message was edited Mar 13, 2007 10:04 PM

Very awesome Cat!
That must have been amazing! I see the Ornythion are dotted in places up here too, but it would be really rare to see them here. And btw, you wouldn't be hijacking the thread girfriend.. I really love the pic, and it is perfectly relevant to the subject of overwintering.

Deb

Thanks Deb :o)

I usually head out to the ranch each weekend and drive out through the back roads of the ranch in search of butterflies. I think I'm suffering from whiplash for turning my head each time I see a Giant Swallowtail. Have to stop the truck, grab the binocs and 'try' to get a good look at those tails to see if it's an Ornythion. Dratted butterflies are flying everywhere and they won't stay put for a decent look. Am also checking all the citrus trees....which add up to about 20...to look for eggs or caterpillars :o)

...which reminds me...has anyone slowly driven along a country road and found that the butterflies will fly alongside? Not sure if they think they're chasing me away like they often do to other butterflies, enjoying the company or wanting to race. It's strange because they can be nectaring on a plant or perched gathering sun and as soon as I drive by they are right there outside my driver's window!

~ Cat

Great news Debnes!! Congrats on the over wintering of your BST!!!
I am amazed with the parsley, you must have put a quilt on that plant! LOL!!

Wooooooooohooooooooooo!!! Went out to check on those PVS cats and found they are all on the way to becoming chrysalids. Got to watch the wiggle worm transformation. Interesting!!!

Now on a much more positive note: Perused the rue and saw BST cats on it!!! Never even saw the sneaky butterfly in my yard much less the female laying eggs. I had not noticed any eggs on the rue plants either...and I tell myself I checked the plants thoroughly last weekend.

Counted four second instars and got a couple of photos but had to get ready for work. That's the bad thing about working a noon-8pm shift. I go outside and get distracted by butterflies and caterpillars and taking photographs that before I know it I have to hit the road for work.

Will upload the photos to a new thread when I get home tonight. My Mom also called earlier to say she picked up five more smaller rue plants from a flea market she was at this morning. What a great Mom! She remembers me when she sees plants I use in my yard. You can never had too many that's for sure!

~ Cat - can ya'll see me doing the BST boogie?! :o)


This message was edited Mar 15, 2007 2:42 PM

Thank You Sheila!

Awesome Cat! Your Mom is sweet!
I know there are eggs on the Parsley, I saw her laying them...They are so tiny and hard to see with all the liht colored tips on the curls of the foliage. Will keep checking. Meanwhile, I am still waiting for these other 2 BSTs to eclose.

Yippy!!

Deb

Here is the update now...

#3 eclosed on March 20...I noticed the chrysalis turning darker on the 19th>

...And the net day I had another BST...
Here his wings are drying. See how fat the body is?

Since I still had one more to eclose I dug up a Salvia and stuck it in the cage to wait. He paced back and forth across the top of the cage and rested a lot for a day. Yesterday morning I went out to find him hovering close to the other chrysalis..Not interested in nectaring at all. He looked like an epectant father in waiting with his pacing...LOL

Maybe the fourth one is a female..(so far 3 of 4 are males)..with the way he was hovering. I began to get a little concerned by yesterday...Thinking Ooo"What if it IS a female? She won't even get her wings dried before he is going at her...etc Plus he was starting to get tired of waiting, still not nectaring.... I opened the cage to set him free..

He didn't want to go, lol. I think he grew as attached as I had become... So I picked him up on my hand>

He lingered for a minute or 2 there, then jumped off my hand and began fluttering around the GH...

I caught him gently and finally carried him out into the garden... I carried him over to the Lemon blossoms for a few minutes...He checked them out...

Then I took him over to see the Mouse eared Coreopsis...

After a minute or 2 we went over to sample some Ageratum...He was enjoying the personal tour....He had grown attached to his captor me thinks, lol..

This message was edited Mar 23, 2007 7:01 AM

Finally to the adjacent Dianthus, which remained all winter..Now in full bloom...

He then took to the sky and flew away...

And then there is one....to go. Maybe today? I am hoping it's a female.. My Parsley, Rue and Fennel is ready and waiting for the next generation.......

:-)

Wow, once things get going, they really take off, don't they? so exciting!!

Yes they sure do Jan!! I am beside myself...:-)))))


Deb

Deb - Your garden bed looks GREAT!!!! Cute deco! I love it!

Thanks Becky! I am having a blast with it. All my host plants are coming up great! Paw paw, Spicebushes, Pipevines, Poncirus, & Hops are all popping nice foliage. The Privit you gave me seed for is getting almost big enough to set out too. I ended up with 3 different Cassias in all the trading.. Plus I am finding things that planted themselves and are actually desirable native plants.. Go fig, lol. One is Baptista and it makes beautiful flowers for a short time in late Spring.. Two different Nasturtiums too, all coming up great. Hoping to get it all down and organized to present here soon.

I have 12 Blue Crown Passionvines rooting to fill in the other lattice in the above pic too. I am going to need all I can get for the hungry frits. Already about a dozen cats on the vines out there now. I found one on the cuttings and took him out there yesterday.

Oh Becky, I am so excited!

Deb

Oh! I can't wait to see more photos! I would suspect by June your new garden plants will be going strong! Do continue to post photos of the progress! I'm excited to see what flowers I get from all the seeds that are sprouting in my bogless bed! Can't wait!!!!