Category Archives: polydamus butterfly

Finally in the right place

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I have always wondered how a polydamas swallowtail has made its chrysalsis. I have read about the transformation, have seen the first step and the last step, but never the in-between until last night.

When the caterpillar is ready to enter its next stage it attaches a silk pad with its terminal prolegs, so it can hang from a silk girdle.

After the sun had gone down, the caterpillars started to do their dance as I was walking past the butterfly house. Another perk of having a butterfly garden, my husband’s beautiful creation of a butterfly house that has allowed countless viewings of the lifecycle.

I was so excited to witness the polydamas swallowtail make its chrysalis that I ran and grabbed my phone to record the incredible transformation.

It took more than 5 minutes for the caterpillar to complete the transformation. Check out the link below for the complete video on my Facebook page and be sure to follow for additional photographs and videos from the garden.

On the move again

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The polydamas swallowtail caterpillars are on the move again. The birthwort, its host plant, is almost gone, as the influx of caterpillars took to eating it almost to nothing.

When they are finished they start inching around the garden, causing you to look down to make sure you’re not stepping on them, instead of up.

Some have gone into the butterfly house, while others have started the chrysalis process on our house with creating its silk girdle.

Polydamas galore

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The polydamas, “gold rim” swallowtail butterflies have had a phenomenal year in the butterfly garden so far this year.

There were a few days I didn’t have an opportunity to walk through the garden and by the third day, wow. My birthwort plant is crawling with a couple dozen polydamas caterpillars feasting away on its host plant.

It’s fun to watch these guys grow. When they are smaller they stay together in a pack, but eventually spread out as they get bigger.

More Eggs

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The polydamas swallowtail has been a regular visitor these past few weeks. They are swift flyers, making them hard to capture in photographs while flying. Well, today, out of 143 photographs, I was able to pick out quite a few that made me smile.

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.

This species can be found throughout peninsular Florida, as well as in the Florida Keys. There are some that wander as far north as Missouri and Kentucky.

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.

The polydamas swallowtail in the photographs below is laying eggs on one of the two birthwort plants in the garden. Right now this plant is thick with lots of growth, while my three Dutchman pipe are needing time to grow back from the last set of caterpillars.

Truly amazing

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The last of my polydamas swallowtail butterflies emerged today after being in its chrysalsis since before Thanksgiving 2024 in the butterfly house. It’s truly amazing how long they can overwinter. Our Southwest Florida temps did get a bit cold this winter, but it’s been pretty warm for some time now.

It flew directly to my daughter’s favorite bench in the garden where it hung out for quite some time, allowing me to admire its beauty a little bit longer.