Comments on: Hot and sunny here again!

By: bonnie

bonnie — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 16:49:30 +0000

I like your site. I enjoy reading your updates with you butterflies. Hope I can have a large area where I can do the same as you are. Like to check every updates of your site.

By: Butterflygirl

Butterflygirl — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 01:55:59 +0000

Wendy - Don’t you just love Spicebush Swallowtails! They are my favorite caterpillar! How it takes to emerge depends a bit on how hot or cold it is outside. In the middle of the summer, maybe 10-14 days.

By: wendy

wendy — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 00:12:17 +0000

Hi,
I love your site! I wanted to find out what kind of butterfly larvae we had and googled images which brought me to your site. We have a spicebush swallowtail. Found a tiny larvae on a sassafrass leaf, which we have now been feeding this guy daily. Wow! I am amazed at all the changes this larvae goes through! I didn’t see on your site, (maybe I missed it) how many days until the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis.Ours is probably at the 3rd instar so I am assuming that the butterfly will not overwinter, but I don’t know. Anyway great site. Wonderful information!

By: MsQ

MsQ — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 14:28:05 +0000

Me again - went into the link above - love your pics - I also got pics of monarchs mating last summer!

By: MsQ

MsQ — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 14:23:47 +0000

Hi……..I live in west St. Louis County…….Amazing that Rick saw so many monarchs - I also wonder where he lives……..I have 2 milkweeds in bloom so far & just beginning to notice a monarch now & then. Have baby birds being born……..Had one clutch of 4 robins born in May, another baby robin born last week (only one despite 3 eggs). Also had 3 sparrows born (despite 7 eggs) - they have already flown from the nest. Isn’t nature amazing!! Now if I could only keep the grackles from devouring the bird seed & suet! And keep the rabbits from devouring the coreopsis!!!

By: Butterflygirl

Butterflygirl — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 22:32:43 +0000

MsQ/Dottie - Yes, I am Trisha! We may have emailed about butterfly gardening before, I’m not sure either now. Black Swallowtails usually wander fairly far away to pupate, so its not surprising that you couldn’t find them on the fennel. About where do you live?

Rick - That is so cool that you live near a migration route! I have never seen them while they were migrating before. I bet that was pretty impressive! Monarch caterpillars are black and white and yellow - see the pictures here: http://www.butterflygardeningandconservation.com/butterfly/bf/d/monarch.php

By: Rick

Rick — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 21:01:24 +0000

Hi, I don’t know much about butterfly’s and have a question to ask. We live in the hills with wild life around and A few months ago there were thousands of Monarch butterfly’s coming through my yard. They were in a stream coming over my back fence and coming by the house. I thought that was amazing until they kept coming day after day, that was more amazing. All together it was about 2 weeks worth. Now I have seen black caterpillars all over the place. They show up on the walk ways, driveways, just everywere. Are these going to turn into butterfly’s like the Monarch?
Thanks Rick

By: MsQ

MsQ — Mon, 29 May 2006 19:48:34 +0000

Hello - found your blog while Googling Black Swallowail butterflies………Found close to a dozen B.S. larvae on the fennel in my butterfly garden this past week. Two were already about 4cm & have since moved - can’t seem to find their chrysalis on the fennel - I know what to look for as I raised 2 B.S. inside in a glass aquarium last year. I don’t think at this time of the year in St. Louis they would go out to a tree (3 years ago had 2 B.S. chrysalis overwinter on a tree in the backyard but missed their emergence). Butterfly gardening & photography are my 2 passions & feel they go hand in hand!!
MsQ/Dottie
BTW - Is your name Trisha? If so, I think we may have corrsponded about butterfly gardening either last year or the year before - I found the name of your website today on a list of websites I wrote down at some point!