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Butterfly Gardening Blog

Welcome! This blog is mostly about butterfly gardening, but other types of plants and gardens, as well as other wildlife is blogged about too.

May 12, 2008

Black Swallowtails - first caterpillars this year

Filed under: Butterflies — Butterflygirl @ 7:36 pm

I found a few Black Swallowtail caterpillars some days ago - just didn’t have time to post the picture. It is on Yellow Pimpernel - I need to check the spelling on that. Don’t have time at the moment. It is a native host plant for Black Swallowtails - which isn’t easy to find. I’ll have to write more about that later. But for now I’m just very happy the plant was found and eggs were laid on it:

2 Responses to 'Black Swallowtails - first caterpillars this year'

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Sally Burke(new comment) said,

on July 14th, 2008 at 12:55 pm

I’ve read your page about the habits of Black Swallowtail caterpillars…thanks for all of the great information. The four that I had on my dill plant yesterday morning all disappeared. I was afraid that birds may have gotten them, but you say that they can wander away for some distance to find a place to pupate. Can you give me a rough idea of how far that could be? My dill was in a pot, so they would have trekked down the side of the pot and over a stretch of concrete. I haven’t found them or the cocoons within 2-3 feet yet.

Thanks!
jean sudnik(new comment) said,

on July 16th, 2008 at 1:02 pm

hello, i found your site today and have enjoyed it, yesterday i found two black swallowtail caterpillars, one in first instar and the other one is about an inch long. i have never been able to find any so i am trying to get as much info. as i can. both have not not moved since i got them, found them on queen anne lace, i assume they are molting, any info. you would have about raising them would be greatly appreciated. i have raised monarchs for a few years so i have some experience raising caterpillars. will these become butterflies this summer or overwinter them, and when i would overwinter, in what way and where. thanks jean