Swingin’ with Swallowtails

I seem to have created a black swallowtail nursery. Between the dill, fennel, parsley, and zizia, they have lots to choose from. I like to watch the caterpillars chomping away, doing their job of eating machine.

By the time the black swallowtail caterpillars get to their final stage or instar, they are plump and juicy. Between the birds and the wasps, its a good thing mama swallowtail lays a lot of eggs. These caterpillars are a key food for lots of the winged wildlife.

Because the bronze fennel has planted itself by the air conditioner (turns out it loves gravel), the caterpillars on it have a better than average chance of survival. It’s been hot since mid-June, so the AC is on a fair amount, blowing the fennel in a high breeze. This keeps the opportunistic sparrows out of it as it’s too bouncy to land on. The caterpillars don’t seem to mind.

We had one make it to chrysalis! It’s green because it chose a plant stem. They’ll be brown if they end up on a twig or branch. I love their little silk safety belts.

And lo! It’s a boy! He hung out to pump up the new wings and get sorted. I’ve seen a male black swallowtail bipping around and I like to think it’s this guy.

A fresh batch is already hatched. This is a newly hatched caterpillar noshing on its egg on the parsley. This one made it about three days before being carried off.

This is about the second instar, again on the fennel. We are doing our best to look like unappetizing bird poop. And so the cycle continues!