The polydamas swallowtail butterflies continue to have a record year in our butterfly house. In 11 days, 81 have emerged, and that’s just in our butterfly house. I have found numerous empty chrysalis scattered throughout the garden.
Although the host plants are slowly growing back, the Dutchman pipe and birthwort, it is not stopping them from flying through the garden every day finding nectar sources.
am in awe with this butterfly, the polydamas swallowtail. In eight days, I have had 50 butterflies emerge, 20 today alone. I still have more chrysalsis to emerge!
There is truly nothing more special than having a butterfly sit on your hand before it decides to fly away, or juat hangs out with yiu for a while. They are spectacular.
Every day since late last week I have had polydamas swallowtail butterflies emerge from their chrysalsis in our butterfly house.
Yesterday I had 9 emerge and today I had 7 for a total of 187 all time raised and released, with 19 in six days. The wonderful part, there are more yet to show their beauty!
My influx of polydamas swallowtail caterpillars have almost all went into their chrysalis.
There are a few left still munching away on some Dutchman pipe, their host plant.
Today, on this glorious 4th of July, the first of probably dozens, has emerged.
This one marks 169 that we have successfully raised and released. Since it did not want to leave my finger, I left it on my purpletop vervain, which is doing incredibe with our daily down pours, so it can fly away when ready
Thank goodness for good friends and their abundance of Dutchman Pipe . . . my explosion of polydamas swallowtail caterpillars have more food!
It’s the little things that make me smile, such as going to my friends house to cut some of her Dutchman pipe to feed my caterpillars and finding some on hers as well. Another perk of butterfly gardening, sharing – both plant cuttings and caterpillars – so more can enjoy watching the lifecycle.
Best part, my little buddy, who was super excited to find a polydamas swallowtail walking down my sidewalk while he was over, is raising a couple dozen for me, so they continue to have plenty of food.
Never in all the years I have had a butterfly garden has the polydamas swallowtail population exploded to this amount. There’s probably close to 100 caterpillars!
These butterflies are having a record year, and now it’s host plant needs new growth, so they lifecycle can start all over again.
