I just found my first caterpillar, I'm thrilled! I think it's a swallowtail. Should I move it to protect it from the birds? There is a feeder nearby.
My First Caterpillar :o) Now what?
I would cover the plant with mesh or a small tent.
It more feasible to just bring the cat in and feed him daily. There are many ways to contain the cat such as a large Glad type food container, or a bug box.
Clean the container out daily and give him fresh food.
If you leave him on the plant uncontained he will crawl away when ready to pupate.
if it is on a plant that can be moved it might be a good idea
Will do. That will be fun to watch. What do I feed it and how? And how often?
Feed it with the same plant that it is eating off of right now. I use a 10 gallon aquarium with a screen lid. I bought some baby food, emptied the jars and then poked holes in the lids. Fill the jars with water and poke the plant down the holes. Make sure the holes are filled up with plant, and that they are not so big that the cat will fall through. Just make sure there is always fresh leaves available. You'll know when to add more.
How about water?
They'll get what they need from the plant. Just make sure it is the same plant that they are eating off of, as they know what their host plant is.
That looks like the cat is in the "late instars" and should pupate in a few days.
He might have runny poo [frass] before he pupates.
Should I add a stick or something in the fish tank for it to attach its chrysalis?
I have at times, and other times, I haven't. I've seen them attach to the stems of the plants, and I've had them attach to the sides of the aquarium.
Donna..help LOL
I found my caterpillar dead this morning. He was fine until 3 a.m. I did all you guys recommended. At first I did the thing with the container with holes and leaves of parsley, but he ws eating them so fast, I figured I'd better buy more, so I went to Walmart and got 3 plants. I put one in a little pot in a terrarium, and he seemed happy.
This morning he was on the bottom of the terrarium, like he'd fallen off a leaf.
Any idea what I did wrong?
The little guy's moving again. Was he just playing possum or what? LOL?
I was worried the new plant might have had some chemical on it which killed him.
I've had cats fall off the plants, or crawl off the plants...however they've gotten to the ground, but...they find their way back up. You can put him back up on the plant yourself. He was probably just sleepin' :)
LOL! Sleeping on the job! I'm still a little suspicious of poisoning. He stuck his little orange antennae out and left them out for a loooong time. When I have seen him do this previously it was because I startled him and he pulled the antennae back so quickly I didn't have time to snap a shot of it.
Hmmmm......being a caterpillar mom is harder than it seems. :o)
Thanks!
LOL yep, it sure is at times. I have about 12+ Gulf Fritillary's in my cage right now. Seems I'm constantly checking on them, making sure they're all ok and comfy.
It's a mom thing :)
ladyborg, I wouldn't worry to much about the poisioning issue with those plants(herbs).Most places won't let their supplers spray edibles. Others types yes. I got 12BST cats in my butterfly cage right now just tearing through 4 pots of parsley,fennel,and dill. One just went to the roof to pupate,I think.
good luck with yours
Don
Don, Wow! I'd love to see a picture. I want to have a butterfly cage, what size, etc???? How do you find your caterpillars? I just came across this one by chance. What plants do you put in it? How do you know what they want to eat, I guess is what I'm saying.
My cat hasn't moved in 24 hrs. I'm afraid it's not just "pining for the open fiords" as Monty Python would say, but d-e-a-d! Could it be meditating on its next move??????????
Give the cat some time,i don't think it's pinning for any open fiords.I think its got alot of things going on inside it's body.
Here's a pic of my cage.I've got 3 differant cats in it right now about 50 monarch cats,10 or so BST cats,and a few cloudless Sulfurs. It's a collage of just BST on the parsley and fennel. sorry about the poor quality
Don
PS there is the chrysalis right under the little yellow arrow under the Daves Garden copyright stuff. The other picture are so blurry you can't even see the BST cats on the fennel and parsley plants sorry
About the cage,it's 6x6x6 made out of 2x2's and screen.it's got shelves on three sides half way up .
I plant all my larva host plants in 1,3 ,5 gallon pots so I can put them in the cage to feed the cats.
when I water my plants I'm kinda allways looking for cats.When I see butterfly's hangin round the plants they lay there cats on then I keep my eye on the plants.But,like BST cat's I never saw the butterfly ever go close to the pots of parsley. I've only been doing this butterfly/hummingbird gardening thing since Jan/Feb so I'm just learning too.It sure has taken up all my spare time but sure is fun!
Don
This message was edited Aug 7, 2006 1:14 PM
This message was edited Aug 7, 2006 1:31 PM
had to chime in since I'm playing mom to a couple of swallowtail cats too! I counted a total of 6 cats on my parsley about a week ago. They've all left to pupate I guess, though I could only find two in their chrysalis'. Here's one before...
and here's one in a chrysalis on an iris, note the green color that blends right in.
and here's the other one I found. He's brown to match the wood retaining wall that he's attached to.
Ladyborg, forgot to mention that one of the cats I was keeping an eye on also stopped moving for a day or two. I moved him to some dill thinking he would like that more, but still no movement. Finally I noticed that he was wiggling again and just below him was shed skin just like a snake. I had no idea caterpillars did this! So glad he did it on a weekend so I could see it. After he shed the skin he was fine and kept on munching and moved himself back to the parsley : )
a better shot of the cage. the little one was my first ,a bit to small to be taking plants in and out with out distrurbing the cats.
Wow! Thanks guys! I have GOT to get me a cat cage now!
BTW, what is a "BST"? Is it black swallow tail?
I put my little guy back outside on the original parsley I found him on, I'm keeping my eye on him, still no movement. I wondered if maybe he preferred the warmer outdoor weather, and since I figured he was dead, it wouldn't hurt him :o( We'll see.
Other than parsley and dill, which I also have planted, do you plant any others for the cage? I'd like to know so I can be ready with them next year. I have lots of other herbs, basil, oregano, etc. Do any cats like those?
I've never seen a monarch around here, I wish I would!!!!!!!!! What attracts them? I try to plant only things which will attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
Here is a link to another thread that has AWESOME information
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/620223/
Yes BST=black swallowtail They eat members of the carrot familly parsley dill fennel.
Monarch's lay the eggs only on Milkweed familly. If any of you reading this thread would like some seed just send me a sase and I'll hook you up with asclepias curassavica (tropical,mexican milkweed) seed you can start now for next year. I'm in the address exchange.Just put a note in with it for milkweed seed.
This message was edited Aug 7, 2006 7:40 PM
Lorri
I always put a dead branch in with the cats but they sometimes still attach tot the top of the netting
I have 6 of them attached to the glass right now. This batch is the wierdest I've ever seen. Or maybe I've just never seen them at this exact stage (thought I had, though) During their process of pupating, they will sometimes swing back and forth and wiggle a lot!! And..drippy stuff coming out of their half way done chrysalis. Is that normal???
Don, yes, I'd definitely like some of those seeds. I will look for you on the exchange, I'm new at this on Dave's. I have some heirloom Amaryllis seeds to trade if you'd like. And a PDF telling their story and germination instructions. They are about 7" across (flowers). Available to anyone else who wants it too. I guess I should add it to the exchange huh?
I need to get some time to learn this site a little better.
Thanks all for the inputs! Unfortunatly my cat. definitely bit the dust. I'll keep looking for others. You can bet I'll be planting FIELDS of parsley and such now that I know just how they are attracted to it.
Here's a pic of a swallowtail I took last year
I never see caterpillars in my yard. What plants to you guys recommend?
mary0114, if you look up above, at the link I posted. It's to another thread, with a list of butterflies and the plants they use as their host plants.
Donna, hope you don't mind me putting the link in to share. It's an awesome list!!
no I don't mind Lorri. I put it there for all to see. I truly love it when I can get others invloved in making wildlife habitats
Don, I would love some milkweed seed! My daughter and are are wanting to start a butterfly garden next year. That would be awesome! I'll send a SASE tomorrow.
Are there any seeds you may be looking for?
lily,I'm just trying to keep alive what I've got now with this heat.I've had to water some of my plants 3 times a day.Sure doesn't give a guy much time to play (lol).I've got so many milkweed seeds I've got to find homes for them while they are still fresh.I'd let the seed pods just open and fly but the HOA probably would hang me. So go ahead and just send me your sase and I'll hook you up with seeds.I'm just so glad to see people interested in growing host plants for the Monarch's Don
Thanks so much!
I certainly understand the heat and watering thing!! At the end of the day, if my potted plants think I've forgotten about them, they hop in their pots to my back door and bang on it until I've watered them. Ok, just kidding, but it feels like that scenario sometimes. :)