The polydamas swallowtail population has exploded in the garden! The caterpillars are on the move, crawling everywhere in my front garden. Some on the sidewalk, others on the driveway, or the house. All of them have gone into my new butterfly house where they can create their chrysalis.
Many of the caterpillars have been their chrysalis in the Dutchman pipe plant. Itsbeen fun finding them. They blend in perfectly!
The polydamas, also known as the gold rim swallowtail, tailless swallowtail and scientific name Battus polydamas lucayus, lays its eggs on the Dutchman pipe. This is the only swallowtail that lacks the tails at the base of the secondary wings, according to the University of Florida.
The polydamas swallowtail’s wings range from 9.2 to 11.6 centimeters.
The female is larger than the males. According to the University of Florida, the males have scent scales, which are hidden on the fold of the inner margin of the upper surface of the hind legs. The scales are “fluted,” releasing pheromones easier. When the mating dance begins, the male will helicopter around the female, all while fanning those chemicals over them.
The polydamas lays yellow to orange eggs in clusters of 10 to 14, which can typically be spotted on newly developed stems, or growing tips, of the Dutchman pipe. The butterfly tends to lay its eggs on the Dutchman pipe that are in sunny areas, although the caterpillars have a higher survival rate in the shade.
It takes four to six days to hatch. Once they emerge from their egg, they consume it before going onto the leaves of the plant.
The polydamas swallowtails, as I have stated in previous posts, are having an amazing year in the garden. I have never seen so many flutter about sipping both nectar and laying eggs. I have its host plant in both the front garden and the back garden, so we have caterpillar galore and butterflies in every direction that you peek out the window. It is always exciting for me to be able to capture so many photographs of this beauty as their wings never stop flapping and they are fast flyers. The entire time she was laying eggs her wings were flapping. It’s amazing to see. If you look closely you can see the brownish eggs.
What is it about the swallowtail butterflies that make your jaw drop just a little? The tails, the large wings? The graceful flight? Always, always grab my attention. The pipevine swallowtail.
The pipevine swallowtail is such an eye catching butterfly. Like many of the swallowtails you have to be extremely patient with a trigger happy finger to capture their beauty. I was fortunate enough to watch a male and female do their mating dance before eventually attaching to one another during a visit at The Butterfly Estates. The males have the irresistible blue coloring on the surface of their wings, while the female is mostly black with white along the outer edge of their wing. Their host plant is the birthwort.
I am beyond thrilled to begin raising the pipevine swallowtail from egg. I planted the birthwort, its host plant, in my garden almost two years ago and have never been able to attract this butterfly. It came to my attention earlier this week that the Butterfly Estates has an abundance of eggs after a conversation with the curator for an article I am writing. So, this morning, I made my way to Downtown Fort Myers. There were so many pipevine swallowtails flying around the 3,600 square foot glass butterfly conservatory. I even had the opportunity to take home the eggs that I witnessed the female pipevine swallowtail laying.
I cannot wait to learn more about this species whose wingspan range from 2 3/4 to 5 inches, as I watch them grow from egg to butterfly. I have both the male (blue hindwings) and female (black wings with spots) photographed below.
