A pack of parsley seeds is cheap - so I scattered them throughout my beds and hanging baskets. There is parsley everywhere. And now...so are the Swallowtail cats! Yipee! They are so pretty. One got really annoyed at me and kept rolling out his orange thingys (I know they aren't antenna but I don't know what they are called - someone help out please).
Isn't he handsome?
A very annoyed caterpiller.
One large, one small.
A collage.
Aren't they fun? And they are pretty. This is going to sound strange, but I like to watch them eat -- have you ever done that? I miss fat little guys!!
LOL! Yes, I've been watching them eat this morning!
LOL!! Good to know I'm not the only "crazy" one, then!! :)
I like watching them eat too! LOL So add me to the "crazy" list :) They are just so intent on eating. And they don't skip a beat! They are amazing!
I just planted a bunch of parsley seeds for the same reason and all have sprouted. I am looking forward to the Swallowtail cats :)
Great pictures!
Lisa
Oh, and it's cute when they make their U-turns on a stem when they are big and fat. :)
I like watching them eat too! I like how the Polydamas cats eat the stems, zebra ST cats are very methodical - they all have their own style. Those things are called osmeterium. Did yours have a bad smell? I notice the Polydamas cats didn't have much of a scent, but the zebra STs are foul! Mom works from home and I guess the cats were crawling on each other yesterday and smelling up the place. But it sure is fun to see those things come out!
Yes, when irritated they throw out those ometerium (?) and produce a strong odor - kind of like anise. I had a little fun 'messing' with the one. All I had to do was shake the parsley stem and he would let me know he didn't appreciate it. The others didn't seem to mind. Guess he was just a little cranky today. I brought three inside and put them in the butterfly house I ordered from Monarchwatch.com. Once they make the chrysalis I will put them back outside - not sure I want to overwinter them inside the house. But I'll put them where I will have a good chance of seeing them open this spring.
I MUST plant milkweed. I don't have host plants for Monarchs and can't wait to watch them open up. I had the opportunity to participate in tagging two Monarchs yesterday and releasing them at a butterfly gardening seminar. I plan to get tags next year and tag my own. Something to look forward to!
It's odd, but I think mine are getting used to being handled. I had one I just brought from inside and he's much quicker to throw those things out than the others. I just thought it was weird when I had Polydamas cats that I didn't smell anything, but then with the ZSTs they are sooo smelly. I guess it varies between species.
That tagging sounds like fun! I haven't seen too many Monarchs around here yet, but hopefully they're on the way!
Wow, I just found another Arkie here on DG. I live in Cabot and I would just love to see your garden and your cats and butterflies sometime when I come down to Little Rock. fleurs. Would that be okay with you? So far, I have come across only two Arkies, besides myself, here on the DG forums, but I know there must surely be more.
Add me to the Arkie Black Swallowtail loving DG'ner.
Here's a picture of a Black catterpillar. It was my first.
Sometimes it happens that they are dark in color.
I've seen pictures, and then finally had my first.
Also -- the chrysilas is very dark as well.
He's been in a chrysilas for about a week now, so I expect it to have flown away one day soon, while I'm at work.
Yes -- I've been scouting around to see who is here from Arkansas.
Nice to meet all of you.
Happy gardening.
Pford1854
I've never seen so many people excited about caterpillars! LOL but when you realize the beautiful butterflies that come from those caterpillars, it's easy to get excited about them. I have never raised any cats but I would like to try--maybe next year.
Hey, pford! Nice to meet you and the other Arkies, too! I looked up Marion on the map and discovered you are north of West Memphis. I've lived in Arkansas all my life and I 'm still discovering towns new to me in our state. I'm not too familiar with your section of the state, though, which is why I had to look up where Marion is.
In fact, it's great to meet everybody here at DG. I've spent a lot of time over on the rose forum and all the folks there are great--not to mention crazy! LOL There's an Arkie over there from Fayetteville--her name is chicochi3.
Anyway, I am way off the subject on this thread and I certainly don't have any pics of caterpillars to share but I have enjoyed seeing the ones that are posted here. Happy Butterflying to y'all!
Marsue, we'll get you hooked on raising'em, you just wait and see! Hahahaha
Debra - what great pics!!! I didn't know about the parsley!! I've been trading seeds like mad so that I'll have the whole back of the yard Hummer and Butterfly friendly next spring/summer.
Deb,
GREAT photos!! I wonder if we get swallowtails up here... if so, i've got to plant me some parsley.
saw you mention Milk Weed... i've got TONS of scarlet MW seeds, which is the host for monarchs and queens (never seen a queen, but it's what i've read)
Terese
Uh oh, it looks like we're going to have some new addicts! Marsue, this would be a good time to prepare and think about what you want to do so when spring comes you'll have a plan you can put into action. Here in FL, I don't ever get a break - I'm raising three kinds of cats right now. Terese, there are swallowtails up into Canada so I'm sure you get some. Check out www.butterfliesandmoths.org Click on the map search and you can click on your state to see what visits your area. That's actually a good idea for anyone interested in attracting butterflies. You want to know which butterflies you need to cater to!
Melanie
WOW! I CANNOT BELIEVE I GOT PHOTOS OF THIS! I brought in 3 Swallowtail cats planning to put them back outside once they form their chrysalids. I just happened to be taking photos of this one when - - - - - he started shedding his skin and formed his chrysalis right before my eyes! It happened so fast. Many of the shots were out of focus because he was moving so much. Here are a few of the better ones. I think I may keep them inside over the winter so I can watch the butterflies emerge this spring. Maybe I can catch that with the camera too!
tcs - I'd love to get some of your seeds if you have enough to trade or for the cost of the postage.
Welcome Arkies! My garden isn't anything spectacular - I just started making an effort to provide both nector and host plants. The hummers and butterflies seem to like them and we see more each year. Anyone is welcome to visit when you're in the area.
Debra, what a great collage of the cat pupating. Way to go!
Deborah
Whoa, that is so cool! I keep missing mine although I did get to see part of one. Honestly, I was getting ready for bed and I went to brush my teeth and when I came out he was making the chrysalis. I watched that sucker all night - it sat next to me on the couch! Then, the moment I go brush my teeth he decides it's time? I think they must be shy. : )
fantastic collage--absolutely amazing! That does it-- I am hooked, cordele and mellie!
I have a photo of a spicebush swallowtail on a purple coneflower which I took a couple of years ago when we lived in Faulkner County. What kind of host plant for the cats do I need to plant? Do I need to plant milkweed, too? So many questions--y'all are just going to have to pardon my ignorance! LOL
Why do everyone's echinaceas look better than mine (sniff, sniff)? Love those Spicebush STs! Their host plant is Spicebush http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/50037/ (but they're not all that easy). Milkweed will bring you Monarch and Queen caterpillars, but lots of butterflies nectar on it, too. Don't worry about not knowing anything - we all started somewhere! Be sure to check out our daily pics thread as we tend to talk a lot about the day-to-day tasks of raising the little guys. Plus, you get to see butterflies from all over the country (and sometimes the world).
Melanie
Wow, that collage of photos was absolutely amazing. Thanks for sharing!
I went to a butterfly gardening seminar last week and the presenter recommended removing Swallowtails from bronze fennel (favorite) and transfering them to the parsley (second favorite) early in the season so there will be fennel left for the later batches. The first to get to the fennel will completely defoliate it. After he mentioned that I remembered that I have a bronze fennel someone left me at the spring roundup. Went to check on it and - yep - it was bare to the bone!
Beautiful coneflowers, marsue! Melanie, I'm like you - why does everyone else's look better than mine? =( Mine are prone to white flies then that yucky black mildew.
Well, thanks for the compliments on the coneflowers but, sniff, sniff, I don't have any more coneflowers. We sold that house last year and moved over here to Cabot. New house--no flower beds --have to start all over. :o(
I don't think I will be able to grow Spicebush where I live now.--no shade and not wet--I went to the hyperlink you sent me mellie and according to the info there, that is what the Spicebush plant seems to like. Guess I will just have to grow the milkweed.
Marsue, I started off sowing milkweed plants inside last winter, planted the seedlings out in April and saw my first Monarch cat on the small seedlings on May 6. (I remember the exact day 'cause it was my birthday). I didn't know about raising them until I visited this forum and started participating in the conversations of those who were raising them and numerous other butterflies. A day or two later I went back to the milkweed seedlings and the cats were no longer there. :>( That's when I decided to learn how to raise them.
My first cats to raise were Eastern Black Swallowtails. Their host plant is parsley and that's the subject of Debra's thread here. She's doing a fantastic job by planting tons of parsley. You NEED TONS of it that's for sure. Although you can get it at the grocery store but it does go limp quicker. The EBST's also feed on fennel and dill. I planted it all, had tons and still had to go to the grocery store.
I didn't see any more Monarchs until probably August. Then I started raising those sweet hearts.
I'm working on other host plants for Tiger Swallowtails, pipevine Swallowtails, Spicebush ST, and Gulf Frits. too.
If you'll go to the beginning of this forum and click on the first "sticky" thread you'll find just about everything you need to read to get started, or at least start planning for next year. Any and all questions are welcomed. Everyone wants everyone to plant for the butterflies on this forum for sure.
Happy Butterflying! Your South Georgia friend,
Deborah
marsue, I hate to start an obsession with you ☺, but maybe you check this link from the University of AR on Lindera benzoin (spicebush)
http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/cotinus/plants3_html/lindbenz.html
Thanks, terryr: I will check out the hyperlink you sent--we retired folk need some sort of obsession to keep us from sitting around twiddling our thumbs! LOL
marsue, do you have the new book out by Lori Spencer - Arkansas Butterfies and Moths? It a great resource for identifying our butterflies. She is the 'butterfly lady' for Arkansas. She works on Mt. Magazine and gives free presentations at the visitor center. There is a Butterfly Festival in July (?) on Mt. Magazine. It's a lot of fun. If you haven't been you should try to go next year. They have a parade in the little town of Paris at the foot of the mountain. It is soooo cute! Whole families dress up like butterflies and caterpillars.
OMG - Debra....those pics are absolutely incredible!!!!
I planned ahead (er, well slightly) for Black Swallowtail Butterflies and their cats.
I planted right next to each other: Carrots, Dill, and Fennel.
The butterflies laid their eggs solely on the Dill first - never touching the others.
The dill quickly grew and died this year. In the mean time, I had a heck of a time keeping the wasp and yellow-jackets off the plants. They are hunters, and make quick and easy meals out of the catterpillars. Every time I went out to watch, I carried a Badmitton racquet and swatted the wasps to kill them. Worked well, but obviously I could not be out there all day long. After I noticed the butterflies laying eggs on the fennel, I then built a wooden frame around the fennel and went to major store that's found in every city in Arkansas, back to the craft section and bought some white mesh fabric. Others here have said the mesh fabric was still too large to allow some smaller predators in, but it definitely keeps the big red wasp out. I was letting butterflies out every other day. I then noticed that the BF were laying their eggs on the carrots, and so I'd move the cats from the carrots into the fennel pen for safe keeping. Finally, just last week, I removed the mesh and am just allowing things to happen as the will. I've got two chrysalis left, and hopefully they'll open this week. Next year, I'm going to build a wooden planter box, with a wooden frame that I can easily put up and take down the mesh.
pford1854, When you start to build the planter, will you post your instructions and pictures? I'd like to see it and I'm sure many other folks would too.,
Cordeledawg, Yes, I was looking back to see if I took any pictures of the frame and mesh I put around the fennel, but I guess I never took photos of it.
This will be a nice mild winter project for me, so yes, I'll keep us posted.
Thanks for the post, info, pics.
pford - does that mean the Swallowtail chrysalids I have now will produce butterflies this season? I assumed they were going to over-winter and emerge next spring. How exciting! Hmmmmm - I need to study up on this subject. There's a lot to learn!
The seminar leader had a very simple butterfly cage made from some netting (buy it at Hobby Lobby or Walmart) and a couple of cheap plastic embroidery hoops. He had a tall stick in the center with the netting wrapped around it and secured at the top with a rubber band. The hoops were spaced to keep the center area open and the bottom was secured around the base of a wide mouthed flower vase. He had a small plastic plant pot sitting in the mouth of the vase and host plants stuck into the pot. It was a very inexpensive butterfly cage that worked very well! I have a net cage that I ordered from Monarchwatch.com and used his example by sitting a small pot into the mouth of an ivy bowl. I put small pebbles on top of the potting soil and stuck the parsley sprigs into it. They have stayed nice and fresh for 3 days now without having to be replaced.
Oh, pepples! That's a neat and clean way to keep the cats off the soil! I'll have to remember that!
fleursdefouquet, no no no. I am not for sure that they will.
I'm guessing that they will, as our temps are still pretty warm.
I just don't know. Some say they will wait until Spring.
Will just have to wait and see..
