Sneaky Black Swallowtails :o)

Well, wouldn't you know it. I was out in the yard yesterday and took photos of the rue blossoms. Also took a closer look at the plants and saw four small second instar caterpillars!!! Never saw a BST in my yard much less laying eggs...those BSTs are sneaky!!!

Took photos of them today and also found a larger - third instar cat as well as an egg. No wonder I never saw the eggs...the BST laid them under the flower petals!!! Very camouflaged!!! Funny thing...I pulled up the photo of the blooms I took yesterday and zoomed in on it and saw the egg...I didn't even see it yesterday! DUH!!!

~ Cat

One of the little cats...
~ Cat

the bigger cat

~ Cat

...the rue blossoms with the egg in the middle...that I never noticed - but I did notice something that looked like spider legs!

~ Cat

...for those (like me) who can't see :o)

~ Cat

...and because that little egg looks so much like the parts of the flower...here's an up close and personal view :o)

~ Cat

...oops...forgot I'd already posted a photo of the blooms where the egg is quite visible. Oh well...here's the close up view anyway :o)

This message was edited Mar 16, 2007 9:51 AM

Great pics Cat! BST's are the same way in my yard. I'll have cats long before I ever see the butterflies nectaring in my yard. Occassionally I'll see one just for a second but then it will be a while before they come back and that's usually to lay eggs. Later in the season they will actually hang around more for food.

My Rue has never flowered. I don't know if it's just not big enough or that they sometimes die before they get there. I've got some plants that lived thru the winter and are growing good so maybe it will this year. Are yours in full sun? Mine seem to do much better here in part shade.

I've never seen a BST laying eggs. Once in a great while I'll see one quickly nectaring on the butterfly bush in the front yard when I'm heading out the front door to work. They are sneaky!

The rue are growing in a large plastic tub sitting on the edge of my back porch. It's not out in the open yard - but under my back porch near the outer edge of the lawn. So a butterfly would have to come up to the edge of the porch to lay eggs on it. The pot is shaded but does get lots of indirect sunlight. The plants are about 2 1/2 feet tall and there is a smaller plant about 10 inches tall in the mix. They stayed green all year long and started blooming last month. This will be the first time it's put out seeds so will try to harvest them. Am thinking I'll wrap a section of mesh around the tub - elsewise the seeds will fall off into the grass or get lost on the back porch.

Since Mom picked up five small rue plants for me and the vendor told her he could have more next week I am going to try to go by and get a whole bunch!!! I want to plant a cluster back at the ranch as well as the near the bunk house at the other ranch and more in my yard too. They are sold in small 3" pots but always have a good root system and are about 4" tall or taller.

If anyone is interested in trading other larval hosts or good nectar plants for rue plants do let me know. Am thinking I can convince an aunt of mine to go buy a bunch for me then go by her house after work to pick them or hook up with her next weekend.

~ Cat

The BST eggs and new hatchlings are hard to spot. I'd seen some black butterflies around, but wasn't completely sure that it was BSTs until today. I saw a really beautiful one nectaring today...didn't wait for a photo, however. Then I found this little cat on my parsley. And a few eggs on bronze fennel.

Great photo Linda!!!

Am going to check the local garden centers soon for some fennel and parsley starter plants. They usually have an herb section. It will be nice to give the butterflies other choices.

~ Cat

Great pics Cat!
BST were the BF I cut my hosting teeth on. lol. I have 3 Rue that made it through the winter. They have all been moved to the back now, not too far from the Parsely forest, Green and Bronze Fennel.

Nice pic Linda :-)!!

The Tiger STs are eclosing now too. I saw 3 come through on Thursday. I am making a new thread for them.

Deb

Great pics Cat and Linda, who would have thought they would lay their eggs on a flower petal? It seems the flower would fall off before the egg hatched, but I trust the BSTs know best.