I had a huge influx of polydamas swallowtail caterpillars last month on my birthwort and Dutchman pipevine plants, their host plants.

The polydamas swallowtail lay their eggs in clusters, so the population can grow pretty quickly.

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. The butterfly tends to lay its eggs on the tips that are in sunny areas, although the caterpillars have a higher survival rate in the shade.

As they grew in size they all started to disappear in the garden, and yes on the side of the house, to make their chrysalis.

I was excited to spot a newly emerged polydamas swallowtail butterfly tucked in my golden rod plant this morning.

It’s always fascinating to find where the chrysalis end up. Often times I don’t spot them until the butterflies have emerged.

One of my favorite things about this butterfly is the speed of the wings. They are constantly fluttering when sipping on nectar, or laying eggs. Here is a polydamas swallowtail enjoying nectar from my fire bush plant.