The polydamas swallowtail resting on a zinnia stem. It wasn’t until this year I began planting zinnia flowers by seed. I am so glad I did. This flower is a butterfly magnet and incredibly easy to grow. I have many guest-starters all over the garden from where the seeds flew.
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.
The polydamas swallowtail’s wings range from 9.2 to 11.6 centimeters.
The female is larger than the males. According to the University of Florida, the males have scent scales, which are hidden on the fold of the inner margin of the upper surface of the hind legs. The scales are “fluted,” releasing pheromones easier. When the mating dance begins, the male will helicopter around the female, all while fanning those chemicals over them.
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.
It takes four to six days to hatch. Once they emerge from their egg, they consume it before going onto the leaves of the plant.
The polydamas swallowtails, as I have stated in previous posts, are having an amazing year in the garden. I have never seen so many flutter about sipping both nectar and laying eggs. I have its host plant in both the front garden and the back garden, so we have caterpillar galore and butterflies in every direction that you peek out the window. It is always exciting for me to be able to capture so many photographs of this beauty as their wings never stop flapping and they are fast flyers. The entire time she was laying eggs her wings were flapping. It’s amazing to see. If you look closely you can see the brownish eggs.
Another polydamas swallowtail butterfly emerged in our butterfly house today. This one is No. 50. Another amazing release. This one stayed with me for quite some time before it flew away into the trees.
This butterfly can be found throughout peninsular Florida and southern Texas. I have read that the caterpillar season is throughout the year in Florida. I don’t know if the season changed with Hurricane Ian devastating the area last September, but we did not start seeing them in our garden until late May, early June. They have had an incredible year so far since then, with more eggs laid.
Today our butterfly house came alive with seven more polydamas swallowtails emerging from their chrysalis. I have yet to see one crawl out! One day I will be in the perfect place at the right time.
We have had 23 emerge in our butterfly house since Thursday, July 6! To say the polydamas swallowtails are having an excellent summer so far is an understatement. We have three more chrysalis in our butterfly house and TONS of caterpillars still in our garden.
Today my daughter and her friend saw one polydamas caterpillar, which was in its last instar, walking down our driveway, which is not too safe, if I say so myself. So that one, and another walking around a giant milkweed leaf away from its host plant, are now residents in our butterfly house. The last check they had found their resting place ready to make its chrysalis.
Here is an assortment of photos from those that were released. They are gorgeous, the tailless butterfly. They always make me smile when I see them flying about the garden, which is now many every day. The best part is they are hanging out in my front garden, rather than the one in the backyard, the first time since I started the gardens almost three years ago at this house!
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A polydamas swallowtail butterfly found refuge in the garden this morning. I found it on the ground, battered wings expanded, so I let it crawl on my finger and brought it to a nectar plant, the red penta. As soon as it crawled on my finger its proboscis was extended waiting to get to that sweet goodness. Before all of its feet were on the penta it was already sipping away with its wings flapping extremely fast.
This morning we had three very eager polydamas swallowtail butterflies emerge in our butterfly house. They were not interested in any photographs, but boy were they beautiful.
There will soon be many more polydamas swallowtails in the garden, as more caterpillars are growing and getting closer to their ideal length. These caterpillars are chomping away on the Aristolochia trilobata in the front garden. The first time I have had caterpillars on this plant since I planted it more than two years ago. The Dutchman’s pipe in the back garden is constantly crawling with polydamas caterpillars.
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