Tag Archives: Polydamas butterfly

Everywhere

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The polydamas swallowtail caterpillars are among the coolest to watch through its lifecycle. The population quickly explodes as the butterfly lays clusters of eggs.

They start off eating their meals together on the same leaf, before exploring on their own as they grow through their instars.

My birthwort, one of their host plants, was extremely bushy and lush looking a few weeks ago. Not so much anymore.

They are beginning to hit their ideal size . . . With the garden planted right outside my front door, you have to watch where youre walking as they are roaming everywhere to find that perfect final destination for their chrysalsis.

This morning I worked in the garden for a while and was rewarded with finding quite a few polydamas swallowtail in the beginning stages of creating their chrysalis.

A polydamas swallowtail caterpillar on a giant milkweed stem.
A polydamas swallowtail caterpillar on my home.
A polydamas swallowtail on the window ledge next to my daughter’s window.

Great activity

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Mornings are a great part of the day to walk through the garden and admire all the butterflies fluttering about.

The monarch butterfly could not get enough of nectar from one of the fire bush plants. It was awsome to watch its head disappear into the opening of the flower grabbing as much nectar as possible through its proboscis.

The polydamas swallowtails were also active, with three of them fluttering about. They were finding both its host plants, birthwort pucgured below, and stops on nectar plants throughout the entire length of the garden.

And of course it would not be complete without the active gulf fritillaries.

These guys are fun to watch, as they chase off many other species of butterflies while stopping on its favorite plants, porterweed.

Butterfly gardening has become such an amazing passion of mine. Who would have thought the saying “plant them and they will come” would continue to draw my excitement and attention almost 7 years later?

Hidden

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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.

Polydamas swallowtail on a coontie plant.

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.

The polydamas

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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 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 caterpillars feed in groups when they are small, devouring the youngest leaves, as well as flowers before moving onto the older portions of the Dutchman pipe.

The caterpillar will go through four instars, 19 to 24 days, before it’s ready to form its chrysalis. The colors of the caterpillars are a bit different during the first instar, with tan and small tubercles. Once the caterpillar molts into the second instar, they become dark brown with larger tubercles.

I brought home a new Dutchman pipe from a local native plant nursery last week with two young polydamas swallowtail caterpillars. They remain together, eating.

They continue to emerge

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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!