Category Archives: eastern black swallowtail butterfly

608

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On Wednesday, May 3, my daughter and I celebrated a pretty exciting anniversary, the beginning of our butterfly gardening adventure. We purchased our first host and nectar plant in 2020 from All Native Garden Center, where I still to this day purchase a great deal of plants.

On our anniversary, my daughter asked how many butterflies we have raised since 2020. Well, today I counted and that number is 608, which includes nine different species! What better way to learn about nature than bringing them to you.

I cannot even fathom how many more butterflies have emerged from our garden, supporting the population in our area. I know we have also helped the lifecycle of the zebra longwing butterfly, cassius blue butterfly, dainty sulphur and the white checkered butterfly.

What started off with three plants has transformed our lives and continues to teach us a great deal of these extraordinary insects. I don’t think we are even close to finishing expanding our garden and inviting more species into our butterfly sanctuary, if you will.

426 monarch butterflies raised and released.

77 gulf fritillaries raised and released.

56 great southern white butterflies raised and released.

25 Julia butterflies raised and released.

3 giant swallowtail butterflies raised and released.

14 polydamas swallowtail butterflies raised and released.

4 sulphur butterflies raised and released.

2 eastern black swallowtail butterflies raised and released.

1 queen butterfly raised and released.

374 butterflies

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When we first began our butterfly house, I decided to keep count of how many we raised and released, as well as the species. I am so glad I did. Last year, 2022, was an incredible year in our butterfly house with seven species raised, totaling 374 butterflies.

Unfortunately since Hurricane Ian swept through our area in late September, I have not seen all of these species return. Their host plants have remained and are thriving, so hopefully as the seasons change, they will return and allow us to watch their process from egg to butterfly happen once again.

With that said, we also have frequent visitors from other species that I have not raised within the butterfly house, which include the zebra longwing butterfly and the white peacock butterfly. There is also a host of skippers that frequent the gardens for its nectar, but I have never found any eggs, or caterpillars.

I hope our garden, and butterfly house, thrives in 2023 as well.

I have listed the butterflies, as well as the number that we have released, with their photos below. To say I have compiled quite a library of butterfly photos is an understatement.

Julia butterflies (8);

eastern black swallowtail (2);

giant swallowtail (2);

cloudless sulphur (3);

polydamas swallowtail (14);

gulf fritillary (71)

and monarch butterflies (274).

My second

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I was beyond excited to see that my second eastern black swallowtail, also known as black swallowtail, American swallowtail, parsnip swallowtail parsley swallowtail, hatched today. The chrysalis has been in the butterfly house since the end of June. These butterflies are absolutely stunning.

The wing span ranges from 6.9 to 8.4 centimeters with the female being larger. The two rows of yellow spots are brighter in males, with the female having smaller and lighter yellow rows.

It did not stick around, flew right away, high and far to a nearby tree.

For more information and photographs of the various caterpillar instar stages, check out https://bit.ly/3BcFG7r

The first

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Our first eastern black swallowtail butterfly hatched in our butterfly house this morning – nine days after making its chrysalis. Research shows that it is also called black swallowtail, American swallowtail, parsnip swallowtail and parsley swallowtail.

I believe we released a female, as the hind wings reveal a more iridescent blue with the upper surface showing two rows of yellow spots, which are dimmer on a female.

The wingspan ranges from 6.9 to 8.4 centimeters, with the female larger in size. I have read that they are among the easiest to attract to your garden, although the adults are seldom abundant. They can be found February through November in Florida. This butterfly will fly slow and near the ground when looking for nectar, or its host plant.

When a butterfly first emerges it spends time circulating blood into the veins by straightening and opening its wings.

The butterfly’s blood does not need to carry oxygen, as air is brought into its body through its tracheal system. Such things as food and hormones are circulated through the blood. Rather than being red, the butterfly has clear, greenish, or yellowish fluid, which contains various types of cells. The flow of blood goes through chambers and channels, traveling around the body tissues.

The heart of a butterfly is a narrow tube, which has small holes at intervals. According to the book “Florida Butterfly Gardening,” it extends the body’s length along the back before making a loop in the thorax. When the butterfly expands and contracts its abdomen, as well as small pumps in the thorax, it moves the blood throughout the body to areas such as the wing veins, legs, antennae, proboscis and palpi.

The butterfly continues to be such a fascinating insect to me.

This “black beauty,” which my daughter named it this morning, is definitely a stunning butterfly. We hope it stops by for a visit again.