Has anyone raised a Giant Swallowtail on Rue? I know they use plants from the rutacea family and I did see a couple of photos on the net of them using Rue but out here I have only seen them using the citrus trees, torchwood and lime prickly ash.
The only ones that use the rue in my yard are the Black Swallowtails...so this will be the first GST raised on rue for me.
This one sure look like a Giant Swallowtail caterpillar to me.
Yes it does look like a GST cat! Congrats, Cat! on finding another use for the Rue!
Yes Cat, the only thing they use here is rue! These little piggies need a lot of it too! They're the reason I had to keep going out and buying more plants last year. Some day I might invest in a citrus tree and try to keep it in a pot. Surely they can feed more than one rue plant can.
Looks like I need some Rue...Cat, I'm having my DH call you because I'm blaming this on you. lol
The GSTs out here use citrus and I have a tangerine, orange and ruby red grapefruit in my backyard...and well, we have about two dozen citrus trees back at the ranch. That keeps them happy.
I buy rue in mass quantities and plant them in large clumps in big pots :o)
~ Cat
There you go Cat!!
The GST the other day appeared to have oviposited... I am keeping my eyes peeled for cats now. I have 2 other citrus, Flying Dragon and Lemon. I'm getting a Hercules tomorrow from a precious lady here on DG.. I have been wanting one a while.
Also you guys see if you can pull up this video piece..our own frostweed (Josephine), was on a News article with her friend Molly who was chosen as a "Texan with Character".
http://cbs11tv.com/video?cid=34
When you get there you have to go to and search the video files for "Texans with Character: Molly Hollar".
I saw my first GST today! He was flying near our grapefruit tree and around the back of our pond. Funny thing is I have 2 rue plants very near the grapefruit.....I'll be keeping my eye on them as well as the grapefruit, I sure hope I get cats! At least now I know what they look like :o)
deb - I looked through the archive of videos and don't see the one about Molly. Do you know what the date was?
I am hoping that my Wild Lime bushes really start putting out the growth once I get them planted in the ground. They do seem to be growing and getting new branches and spreading out rather nicely. My Hercules Club has been growing quickly too. Those thorns are scary on that bush!!! I haven't seen any GST in my yard yet. I am going to have to get some Rue as well. I just love ALL the different species of Swallowtails!!!
Congrats to all who have seen them and even have them using plants in your yard as a host! Butterfly season has begun!!! :-)
I didn't know that GST's like rue. I just started four of the seedlings of rue in a jiffy peat tray indoors. It is coming out very nicely. I just saw a GST today on our Butterfly Blue Pincushion Flower. I hope she or he comes back and brings company.
Thanks,
Chuck
So far have only had one GST caterpillar eating Rue. It's fixing to pupate now.
Have other tiny cats on the rue but am assuming they are BSTs...won't be able to tell until they get into the next instar stage. Whooooaaa! What am I thinking!? There are other GSTs on my rue!!! My word!!! I have been taking photos of the other caterpillars as they are growing and it never clicked that they are GSTs!!! DUH!!! Am just so used to photographing cats that I didn't even think of the plant they were on. Rut roh...is my face red!!!
~ Cat
LOL! When you start raising that many cats ...... it all becomes a blur!!! I know, trust me! LOL!
GSTs use plants in the rutaceae family...and rue falls into that category. I usually find them on the citrus trees, torchwood (amyris), baretta (helieta parvifolia) or colima (zanthoxylum fagara).
Ah...so true Becky...so true. I just had to go outside and photograph that bugger on the rue. Here it is...
~ Cat
This message was edited Apr 6, 2007 9:27 PM
Is this one the same cat as your first photo? Or is this a different cat? They look the same and are probably GST from the photos. (But I could be wrong. :-/ )
Where have you all been the last few years that I've talked about Rue and GST's?! And last year me and Debnes were both buying them right and left. LOL! Were you ignoring us?! ;)
I was frustrated last year when the BST's laid eggs on my rue! I had plenty of Queen Anne's Lace and she chose the smaller plants! And my husband complained every time I'd have to bring in a cutting. What's that smell??
FYI...the cuttings will root but it takes about 6 weeks for them to do it, so be patient.
:o) No, it's another GST. The one in the first photo is in the reptarium and starting to pupate :o)
Konkrete...I must have missed the post last year...but get this...the GSTs will also use Dutchman's Breeches...a native rue that grows wild out here.
Whodathunkit!
~ Cat
Uh....I think my computer crashed at that time lol
My feelings are hurt...I've been skimmed! ;) Actually last year I think I only was able to rescue one little bird-poop cat. I waited like 1/2 a day too long and I guess spiders got to the other ones. But Rue is the only plant that I have ever fed to GST's.
If the BST lays eggs on it again this year I'm going to immediately transfer the cats onto the QAL or fennel etc.
Cat, I saw that new host plant that mentioned and it looks like it takes more of it to feed cats than a rue plant would. Good find, but try to find more host plants with BIG LEAVES! :) lol
Konkrete...TOO TRUE!!! Dutchman's Breeches rue is slim pickings for caterpillars. That's probably why I can never find it out at the ranch...they eat it to the ground...just like the pipevine swallowtails chow down on the tiny aristolochia erecta.
I agree - butterflies should go for plants with big leaves. I've got gobs of Giant Golden Pothos crawling up my oak trees...the leaves on that are anywhere from 12 to 18" in length and they have about a 12" width. Now why can't they eat that?! :o)
~ Cat
Paige - I SAW and READ your posts about Rue. I've had Rue in my garden beds before but the butterflies/cats ignored it and then we had some serious rain which literally killed the plant. I have a spot in my raised bed herb garden for another one. The plant does have that stinky odor so I never replaced it. But maybe I should try it again. Mine got the size of a small bush, but it does not like to have wet feet at all!!! We have some at the school and nothing seems to like it. We've had cats all over the parsley, dill, and Queen Anne's Lace plants, but nothing on the Rue. Though we have seen some GST and also some ZST in our garden recently, so who knows? ;-)
Well ...... if I was a plant .... hypothetically ..... I would want to have "small" leaves to try to HIDE from the butterflies and cats! I would not be putting out big leaves to make it easy to spot me! LOL!
Of course, the Passion Vine and the Pipevine never got that memo on leaf size. LOL! But they did get the memo on fast growth!
Edited to add:
Ya know ..... it just occurred to me ...... why would a GST go for a little Rue plant here in Florida where there are thousands and thousands of acres of Citrus groves???? Nah! If I was a butterfly, I'd stick with the citrus!!! Which is why "I" am sticking with the Wild Lime bushes. Forget the Rue. I don't want another stinky plant in my garden. The Lantana are noxious enough for me. HA!
This message was edited Apr 7, 2007 8:44 AM
Here's the thread Becky, and anyone else who hasn't seen the video... http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/709878/ I knew Roxanne was able to see it... Don't think paige or cat have yet.
You have to go to the Video section and there is a button there above the little viewing screen marked 'browse video' and a search button.. click on that and then type "Molly" in the field. It should come up then.
Deb
It took me a while to get the video to play. (Don't know why.) But finally!!! What a neat feature on Molly and her native garden. Was Josephine (Frostweed) the one in red who was interviewed about Molly?
Very cool video spotlight on the local news there!!! :-) Thanks for posting that link, Deb! :-)
Yes Josephine is the one in red :-)...
