I put a fresh branch of the wild lime tree in the butterfly house, which got the giant swallowtail caterpillars moving around. It’s fascinating to me to see this, as this little head pops out under what appears to be their protective armor, their bird poop appearance.
The giant swallowtail butterfly returned to my Southwest Florida garden a few weeks ago and left behind eggs! This is the first time I have had her visit the garden since Hurricane Ian in 2022. The wild lime is doing well – I have plenty of food for the caterpillars.
I was able to find four caterpillars on the tree, which have been put into my butterfly house, so we can watch them grow.
The caterpillar resembles that of bird poop, which helps when they are smaller as they sit on the top of surfaces in plain view.
According to the University of Florida, the giant swallowtail larvae have an osmeterium, “an orange, or reddish Y-shaped eversible gland,” that is used to wipe against small predators, such as ants and spiders. When the caterpillar is in its fourth and fifth instars it contains a highly noxious, pungent mixture of chemicals, which smells like rancid butter.
There is just something about the giant swallowtail butterfly that captures your attention and keeps it as it gracefully flutters about, landing periodically on different plants. Today, I am completely stoked! I brought home a wild lime, its host plant, to add to my garden from The Butterfly Estates.
I have not spotted the giant swallowtails in the garden since before Hurricane Ian in September. I am hoping with its host plant, they will begin visiting my garden again, gracing us with their beauty.
This beauty emerged in our butterfly house on Oct. 1, just a few days after Hurricane Ian swept through our area. It was such a beautiful sight to see amongst so much destruction. Thankfully its host tree is still standing in the backyard, where it flew to after taking its first flight. I am always in awe of this gorgeous giant. I hope it returns to the garden soon to leave more eggs behind.
Here are some of my favorites of the release that I am now just able to upload. This is the third giant swallowtail we have raised from caterpillar.
The giant swallowtail caterpillar completed ita chrysalis this morning. The last one I raised took 22 days for it to emerge. It will be interesting to find out how long before it emerges and shows off its beauty.
