My two year old fennel plant is covered with varying sizes of these cats. Tell me what they will grow up to be cause there is going to be a bumper crop of them...
Who's grazing in my fennel !?!!
I'm guessing a black swallowtail.
Jerry
Yes! You have been blessed with the Black Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillar!!!
If you have parsley or dill, it is a host plant also. But that is all they eat.
Here is the adult butterfly.
You might have more parsley than fennel and you can switch the extra small cats over to it, but they larger ones would just move back. I take them inside and raise them to protect them from predators like wasps, birds, and praying mantis. I use a Glad plasticware container with the top cut out and fine mesh put in it. Floral foam holds moisture for the plant sprigs. It is a great thing to do with a elementary age kiddo if you have one around.
Excellent~! How long before???
I have lots of fennel and parsley, no dill as I am late starting it... looks like I'm really late.
Do these produce all summer long or only this season?
Usually here I don't see any more eggs after late May. However the chrysalis' may be around for months. I have pictures of releases in September! They will also over-winter and emerge in the spring. Very unpredictable timing!
Thanks to you both for the information. I will enjoy watching them but must pass on raising them for now. Have enough to say grace over and I would feel ever so guilty if I neglected them. I am fascinated to watch them... hard to count them all. Do you have a photo of the eggs so I can watch for them in the future?
Yep, this eggs on a Rue plant, which I forgot is also a host plant for the BST (Black Swallowtail) and the GST (Giant Swallowtail). This is one or the other's eggs. They both look alike at this point.
This message was edited Apr 28, 2009 10:51 PM
I also planted fennel for the BSB. I see the plants being eaten and see the cats but then they disappear. Are they being eaten?
Some maybe, but most may be crawling off to pupate. They will usually choose a sunny location on something sturdy like chairs, statuary, trellis, and fences.
But sadly most are not going to complete the process to adults. There are a lot of preditors in the wild, some released by farmers to protect their crops. A tiny wasp and fly will lay their eggs under the skin of the cats and after they pupate, a small microscopic fly and wasp will emerge instead of the butterfly. That is why some of us try to hand raise the cats from the eggs, to avoid the parasite's invasion.
http://www.berkeleyswallowtails.com/wsplrva.html
What do the caterpillars in the wild eat? I see lots of adults, but have no idea where they go to lay their eggs.
Yes, and when are the eggs laid? Like Bettydee, I see lots of the butterflies. But I had no idea of the stages they go thru to get there.
I must say that although I don't feel I could do them justice by trying to raise them, I appreciate what y'all are doing. I also value the information you share. Your photos of the eggs and pupea (sp?) make me more aware not to disturb them if I should see them in the flower beds. Thanks for all the patience in answering our questions... lol
Maybe this is not the same guy but I see lots of these and a similar yellow one.
This message was edited Apr 29, 2009 7:17 AM
Ok two links to help.
1. The host plants are the ONLY plants butterflies will lay eggs on and the only plants their caterpillars will eat. A list is available by butterfly and by plants on this site. Look under "butterfly gardening". Monarchs only use Milkweed, but there are a lot of varieties. http://www.dallasbutterflies.com/
2. I think the picture you have is of a Eastern Tiger ST (dark form), or could be a Spicebush ST. Here is a link that you can select and enlarge a picture on each side of the screen to compare. But I am jealous of you, which ever it is! Also if someone else can definately ID it please jump in.
http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabambc/frames-0species.asp
Jealous? No way! I am jealous of your amazing knowledge and skill with these pretty butterflies. Thanks for the links. I'm off to work but will check them out this evening.