I am ecstatic to share that the measures I have taken in the garden have worked! I purchased these drawstring netting bags that I put on the plant, and check daily to see if the caterpillars have enough food.
It’s great because the caterpillars are still in their environment, just protected from predators, on their host plant, wild lime.
I had three giant swallowtail caterpillars that I have watched grow from an egg to a chrysalis.
The giant swallowtail will attach its posterior end to a silken pad and the anterior end is attached to a thin silk girdle, according to the University of Florida.
Now the wait has begun for the stunning giant swallowtail butterfly to emerge.
The giant swallowtail butterfly has always been that show stopper for me. When I see it in the garden, everything comes to a stop. Today I grabbed my camera and ran out the door to capture some photographs of this beauty.
The best part is she left tons of eggs on the wild lime tree.
The giant swallowtail butterfly, papilio cresphontes cramer, is an abundant beauty in the state of Florida. Although butterfly enthusiasts love finding this butterfly in their garden, citrus farmers think they are a nuisance, as the caterpillars – orangedogs – eat the leaves of citrus plants.
I think the caterpillars are absolutely fascinating to watch.
I have three giant swallowtail caterpillars on my wild lime tree, one of its host plants, that I have been checking on daily.
I put a mesh bag around the leaves of the branch that each caterpillar is munching on to protect them from predators. I am happy to say the three are growing in size.
The caterpillar goes through five instars, with feeding typically taking place during night hours.
According to the University of Florida, the younger caterpillars are black, or brown, with a white saddle and have hairs on prominent knobs.
As they grow in size they are mottled dark brown with a white or cream-colored posterior, and no longer have knobs.
Each instar looks different in appearance. They resemble bird droppings when younger and rest on the top of the leaves. The larger caterpillar will rest on stems or leaf petioles.
These beauties capture your attention as they glide through the garden from one plant to another, as their forewing span is from 11.7-17.5 cm for males, and 13.5 to 18.8 cm for females.
The first time I saw the giant swallowtail butterfly, I knew I had to add a host plant to my garden so I can witness its graceful flight, as well as the lifecycle.
There’s something about a giant swallowtail gracefully flying into the garden that catches my eye and makes me stop to admire its beauty. The wild lime tree, one of its host plants, is planted right outside of my office window, so the giant swallowtail catches my eye from time to time when visiting the garden.
The best part is I watched her leave many eggs behind. So, when I had a minute, I checked the tree in the area I saw her mostly, and found four eggs!
I have decided to stop raising caterpillars inside of a butterfly house and let the lifecycle unfold in nature.
With that said, I found a new way to help caterpillars if needed . . .
I have seen ideas to use mesh bags on the plants. So, I added the bags to the leaves that had eggs. This measure has been taken as the little caterpillars seem to always vanish a few days after they hatch.
I am excited to share that all the eggs have hatched and I have baby swallowtail caterpillars growing on my wild lime tree.
I am hoping this measure, while leaving them in their environment, will help them continue to grow, so they can form their chrysalis.
Still to this day, the biggest thrill of creating a butterfly garden, is seeing a giant swallowtail flutter into the space. The pure size and beauty of this butterfly is incredible.
These beauties capture your attention as they glide through the garden from one plant to another, as their forewing span is from 11.7-17.5 cm for males, and 13.5 to 18.8 cm for females.
I planted a lime tree, one of their host plants, in the garden a few years ago. The tree is now taller than me providing plenty of food for the caterpillars. Yesterday, while I strolled through the garden I found many eggs on the top of the leaves, as well as a few small caterpillars.
According to the University of Florida, the egg has an irregular coating of an orange secretion, a resemblance of an orange peel.
Each instar looks different in appearance. They resemble bird droppings when younger and rest on the top of the leaves. The larger caterpillar will rest on stems or leaf petioles.
According to the University of Florida, the younger caterpillars are black, or brown, with a white saddle and have hairs on prominent knobs. As they grow in size they are mottled dark brown with a white or cream-colored posterior, and no longer have knobs.
A few years ago, I purchased a wild lime tree, which has tripled in size, and is finally blooming for the first time. I added this plant to the garden because it is a host plant for the giant swallowtail butterfly, and Schaus’ swallowtail butterfly.
According to the Florida Wildflower Foundation, this plant is a shrub to small tree that grows naturally in hammocks in Central and South Florida. The peak flowering season, although blooms year-round, is in the winter and spring. The fruit, the foundation states, provides food for both small wildlife and birds.
The flowers appear in clusters that are yellow to yellowish green on the leaf axils. The fruit are round and yellowish green, the foundation stated, and when mature turn to a “dark brown husk” that when splits show one, or two tiny black shiny seeds. The wild lime has tons of thorns on the branches.
It’s growth habit is 5-20′ plus and 3-10′ wide. My wild lime is in direct sun, therefore produces a “fuller crown.”
Yesterday while wandering the garden I noticed that a monarch butterfly was enjoying the nectar from the flowers. A double win!
