Tag Archives: polydamas caterpillar

Busy little, big caterpillars

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The polydamas swallowtail caterpillars have certainly been busy in the garden eating the Dutchman pipe almost down to sticks, and traveling long distances to find areas to make its chrysalis.

This polydamas caterpillar traveled pretty far away from its Dutchman pipe. It was blowing in the wind when we found it on the branches.

The mature caterpillars can reach 2.1 inches in length before it starts its chrysalis. They remain in the caterpillar stage, four different instars, from 19 to 24 days to reach that desired length.

The polydamas caterpillar attached to its silken thread on a milkweed plant in the garden. To the right of it is a monarch egg that should hatch any day now, as it is turning a darker color.
Three polydamas chrysalis on a milkweed plant in our butterfly house.

Depending on where they make their chrysalis it will resemble either a green, or brown leaf, as pictured above. We also have chrysalis in the butterfly house that are either on branches or the sides of the house that are brown in color mimicking that dead leaf.

The silken thread is pretty amazing.

The polydamas swallowtail butterfly typically emerges from its chrysalis at about 18 days.

As always, check out my page on polydamas swallowtails: https://bit.ly/3MHVXnb.

Black and yellow

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We had another successful polydamas, gold rim, swallowtail, hatch in our butterfly house this morning. Number 16. We have two more chrysalis in the butterfly house and about eight caterpillars of this species and TONS more in our garden.

Their wing span ranges from 9.2 to 11.6 c.m. and the female is larger than the male. Fun fact from the University of Florida: the male has scent scales hidden on the upper surface of the hind wing in folds.

A true beauty.

Check out: https://bit.ly/3zcSDO6, for additional information about the life cycle of the polydamus swallowtail.

On the move

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Another stroll through the garden showed that the polydamas caterpillars were on the move, walking the “tight rope.” My husband found a way for my Dutchman pipe to continue to climb to a trellis that already has two Dutchman pipe vines going up.

Some of the tips showed many of the caterpillars fighting amongst the same food.

More eggs.

Then to check on the butterfly house . . . another polydamas swallowtail molting. It’s amazing how fast these caterpillars are growing.

As always, here’s my page that shares more in-depth information, photos, and videos of the polydamas swallowtail: https://sweetbutterflybliss.com/polydamas-swallowtail-butterfly-2/?frame-nonce=a917bf6c0e

Baby caterpillars everywhere

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I found so many baby polydamas caterpillars in the garden this morning. Just briefly scanning the Dutchman pipe, I found four different clusters of caterpillars, which at this stage of its instar is incredibly common. They explore on their own when they get larger.

I now have three different Dutchman pipe plants thriving in the garden, all vining up an archway and across a rope meeting together. The abundance of large green leaves, I am sure will soon disappear as the caterpillars continue to grow.

Be sure to check my polydamas butterfly page for more information about the life cycle, which of course shows many photos from our gardens:
https://sweetbutterflybliss.com/polydamas-swallowtail-butterfly/

Eggs galore

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The polydamas swallowtail has been busy laying clusters of eggs on our Dutchman pipe: one of two I found just today. The eggs are about 1 mm in diameter and will look greenish as they mature, ready to hatch, which takes up to six days. According to the University of Florida, the eggs are covered by a “hard, nutritious secretion,” which are laid in vertical bands.

The larger polydamas caterpillars in our butterfly house have been crawling around finding the perfect place to make its chrysalis. This one did not like me getting close, as its osmeterium shot out when I neared. According to the University of Florida, the osmeteria, located on the anterior of the prothorax, is bright orange, and used as defense.

https://sweetbutterflybliss.com/polydamas-swallowtail-butterfly/?frame-nonce=f1b7ce0cea
For more information and photographs about the polydamas swallowtail, click the link above.