Red, here is a great site that Marna has shared with others about 'raising butterfly'. Thank you Marna. May I please repeat it here. http://www.raisingbutterflies.org/
Parsleys for BST Cats....questions.
Ok.... Here they are....
Great article that Marna compiled for DG…. http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2358/
Great link on raising butterflies Marna shared… http://www.raisingbutterflies.org/
Nicely done multiple butterfly site…. http://butterflies.heuristron.net/index.php
Monarch Watch website / raising …. http://www.monarchwatch.org/rear/index.htm
Someone’s compact personal website…… http://melanys.tripod.com/butterfly.htm
edited to say....Great minds....see you posted the new link too!
This message was edited Aug 13, 2011 7:50 PM
Sheila, thank you for other great websites that you've listed above. I'm going to spend alot of time researching. Ooh has anyone noticed that the Chrysalides that were formed on August 5th promptly eclosed yesterday? All 5 of them. 4 were early in the morning, and the 5th did so after lunch hours. What a great weekend I've had!
Currently I've 9 Chrysalides from the 2nd batch. 2 5th instars, and the smallest instar seems to be molting. ^_^
thanks so much for the links...I will peruse them when the rain hits this afternoon :)
didn't mean to be confusing in my post LOL...my fingers can't keep up with what my mind wants to say...
I thought they were monarch cats because they looked so different from the ones that were on the back porch eating dill (a few weeks ago) the ones on the back porch had distinct green in them - while the ones out front (eating yes - dill and parsley - one cat on each of them) anyways the ones out front appeared to be just black, yellow and white - I tried to capture pictures of them up close but could not get anything but blur...argghhh -I have milkweed planted by the pond (because there are tree canopy's on half the pond and I read the adult Monarch likes to spend the hot afternoons in tree's and lay eggs close by on milkweed)
but I am a total newbie to cats so if monarch's wouldn't touch dill or parsley I am mistaken in what I 'thought I saw' LOL I check the milkweed daily but never see anything on it..but I have hopes!! :) my take away is - at least I know I have 4 BST's hanging out in the yard somewhere...thank you all so much for your support and links...it is something I desire to learn more about!!
Deanna
Deanna...... There is so much that all of us can learn....baby steps...baby steps. Just glad you started posting here, it is a great forum. Here is a pic of two Black Swallowtails (BST) that are different colors..I can't find info on why this happens. I have only had the black ones twice....the normal green color one is up at the top of this picture.
Sheila, I haven't seen one Black Swallowtail caterpillar that looks that dark myself. How neat nature is! What I've observed with the few that I raised, the smaller instars have more prominent brownish coloring, and as they mature to the 5th and last instar, they appear more greenish with stripes.
My update. One of the last two big (5th instars) cats is forming its silk sling. That leaves behind the last big instar and the smallest 2nd instar. I'm still refraining myself from giving them the Parsley that I purchased from the local nursery. What organic Parleys I've left hopefully will carry these little ones over until they pupate.
Deanna, hang in there with me, small baby steps like Sheila has mentioned; you'll get the reward of accomplishing a task. Adding beauties to the environment that we live in.
Lily, I meant to say earlier that I bought parsley the first year I raised BSTs. I just bought the cut in the produce isle. I rinsed it very very well (soak and drained a couple three times). I had success with it at the normal rate. I made sure the next year to plant more parsley.
BTW, you can seed parsley anywhere in with your other plants in the flower beds as long as they aren't full hot sun. If it gets too leggy you can cut it back leaving the cut pieces near the others for a couple days so you don't toss a cat.
In Ohio, they seem to like the Queen Ann's lace the best; which is a blessing because it grows wild everywhere--just found two cats in the ditch last night and this morning.
Queen Ann's Lace were abundant here during early summer. I regcon it's now too hot for them down South. Sheila I'm growing some more parsleys in the future is for sure.
I have already got a spot picked out for more parsley plants, and also some fennel
The Fennels are perennials aren't they? I've had them for several years, then they declined. What I planted this spring didn't turn out well.
Yes, they are perennial, they might have had a disease, or been eaten by something.
There is also a biennial fennel, so maybe that is what you had.
The other thing is fennel will cross polinate w/ dill and you get a weak plant, so you could have had that.
WTG on the two ditch BSTs BCH. What can I call you BCH? I can't ever remember the initials!! LOL!
Well my bronze fennel was planted about three years ago at the edge of a flower bed, thinking it would be easier to reach and wouldn't get tall. Watch where you plant it because I was wrong, the thing took off last year and reached 5-6 foot easy! Dill on the other hand always seems to struggle and die in our heat. Parsley is my main feed plant for the BSTs and I like the curly leaf best. I hate the flat leaf because it doesn't have enough leaves per stem as the curly. They are perennial also down here, for a couple years anyway. I figure I will loose most because of the heat this year.
Ladies,
Excellent thread. Unless I missed it, no one has mentioned Rue for feeding the Black Swallowtails.
Rue will also be used by the Giant Swallowtail as a host plant. I live in central Arkansas, zone 7b, and I have 2nd year Rue growing that I started from seed. It has held up well in the heat and is a pretty plant, with lacy, blue green foliage and small yellow flowers. I've had both the Giant Swallowtail and the Black Swallowtail lay eggs on it this summer and have raised both butterflies using Rue as their diet.
I also raise parsley and fennel for the BST. Rue is a perennial in my zone and quickly restores itself when trimmed.
~Mary
I have Rue also, but have trouble with it surviving our heat down here. I don't know how many plants I have bought and only have three or four survivors. It is a great source though for sure.
oohhh Lily_love I so thought of you today (and even talked about you!) Had a very nice lady stop by the Farmers Market today and she raises butterflies!!!! she has 40 yes 40 instars inside right now...
Still waiting for the monarchs. My A. incarnata is dropping leaves though from the heat. My tropical MW is still less than 1' tall. :/
Saw a bst yesterday on the parsley, though. Luckily I've been able to keep one patch from going to seed.
C'mon, critters!
Awwww, Red, I'm so happy you've found someone locally that raises butterflies. Mary, I grow some kind of meadow rue here too, haven't found BSTs cats on them just yet. Amanda, hope the butterflies will find you soon. Sheila hope the heat will let off soon and that you'll get some rain also.
Good news on Gulf Frits..... caught pics of this one laying eggs!
another
Oops, meant to post these on the daily thread.
Yippie! Congrats Sheila. Thank you for sharing the good news. Just an update. I don't have pics. to share for I've been away for the week. Before I left home. I made sure a good neighbor would foster parent for my BSTs pupas. The neighbor has a young child 11 years of age and 16 years old to keep my BSTs those that were all in chrysalides. I came home this afternoon, and found the cage I sent to neighbor were home with the shells (left over from the eclosed butterlies!) Yep, they all made it!!! I'm so delighted those children get to see the butterflies' transformation.
Yes, it is so great when you can share the experience even with adults! Wonderful that they eclosed.
I saw two last instar BST on a small Rue plant a couple days ago, was hauling vines I tore out on the side of the house and didn't get them in. When I went back yesterday they were gone. I do hope they sucessfully pupated somewhere. I lost my main Rue at the front of the house (heat) and glad they found these. They are on the east side near the foundation of the house. They will get morning sun untill about 11am so they should do well. My parsley plants have all burned up in this 107 degree oven.
Sounds like some progress up there. I'm glad to hear it. You all may be sharing some of my frustration with the state of my garden right now, but I have reminded myself that I was still deadheading cosmos last season until the frost knocked it down in November. So I have plenty of gardening and flowers to look forward to.
Here's a question about a senna plant/candlestick plant/cassia alata: Has anyone grown this? Got these seeds from Onalee last season and finally coaxed one into growing bigger than my thumb. :)
Where it started was not full sun so I transplanted it into full sun over a month ago and it is still maybe just barely over 12" tall. This is a plant that may get to be 10' over the season. I did plant in April, so the plant is fairly old, so to speak.
Do they get a sudden growth spurt? She said not to pamper it, but I was thinking a shot of something might kick it up a notch. It's an unusual plant and would love to see it bloom. It is an annual in my zone I think, so if it doesn't bloom I will just have a giant shrubby dead annual to remove at the end of the season.
Thoughts on this plant are appreciated.
A.
Amanda - dmail donnacreation - she grows them from seed and might have hints for you - she brought me one two months ago and it's 5' tall right now with some type of green catapiller going to town on it's leaves...
Lily - my new friend brought me over a 'cat house' last night LOL...I am doing a project for our local fair in Sept and she thought a display with 20+ cats in it would be nice for the kids - I can't wait! I'll take pics today and post
Way to go Red! Can't wait to see your pics.
Ditto thanks.
The candlestick senna is a host plant for a couple of sulphurs.....if they eat leaves they are green if they eat the blooms they are yellow! LOL!
I have had a candlestick in the ground and lost it come winter, so I will be cutting back and digging roots of my smaller ones this year, taking them inside. I am going to heavy mulch the tall ones. They are about 5 foot now. The older the plant the larger it will grow each year. In your area I would keep it potted or dig it each year to bring it in until you get several going and can experiment. I can say it is one plant that is loving our continouse heat and sun.
WTG Red on the new "cat house" it will bring many fun hours.
ok here it is...I'm so excited and find it amazing how God continues to work in our life and bring us into contact seemingly random - my new friend needs surgery this week so here are some cats I'm babysitting - when she gets back we'll split them
any thoughts on the Chrysilis on the left?
I'm not that familiar w/ ST chrysalises, but that looks diseased. I wouldn't take a chance on it.
I haven't seen one that turns that color. However, the shape appears intact? Sheila, have you seen one like it? I know, Gulf Friterary papae looks that coloring.
Nothing wrong with the coloring some are brown when they make on a plant that is not fresh green. However, it looks like it's suspension silk broke. I would scrape the silk pad it is on off and pin it upright, or lay it on the bottom of the cage on a crumpled papertowel. If you have a small container, it might be good to isolate it also, just in case it is carring parasite larvae.
This is an old picture when I used sticks. The green one was among fresh parsley when it pupated. The other made as the parsley was almost gone and it only had the stick for reference.
When you take the chrysalis out look at it under a microscope for any holes or moist openings. This is an exit hole of a parasite.
Thanks everyone! putting it in quarrantine (sp) right now
Red, it's ok. Likes Sheila has stated above. The variation of coloring of the chrysalis is normal it depends on the 'coloring' of the adjacent environment when the caterpillar formed its cocoon. If it's a green leafy it turns green, if the leaves turned brown. So it will mimic and disguide its appearance to escape predator. Best of lucks, sit back and relax and watch nature unfolds. It's marvelous!
no the end of the sack was torn like Sheila asked me to look for - there was more than just dried silk there and Lordis did say she was concerned he wouldn't make it when she dropped them off Sunday night so...
Carl (the tomato horn worm she also brought) has eaten up all the tomato plant she had in his container so I'm trying some Datura leaves right now as the horn worms have decimated maybe 5 of my 12 Dat's I am hoping he too will enjoy it...if not...I will tear tomato leaves off for him
red....if the horn worm is large it may just pupate. Put some torn newspaper or papertowel in the bottom of the cage or some clean soil. They bury themselves to pupate.
Hah, I have a thread just for Red and others that maybe interested. 'Newbies at Raising Cats.' Enjoy everyone. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/774042/#post_4026462
Lordis brought a container already with soil in it (it's like the big barrel containers you get cheesepuffs in) and yes he has not moved a stitch today so I believe something is on the horizon for him ;)