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.
The polydamas swallowtail population has exploded in the garden! The caterpillars are on the move, crawling everywhere in my front garden. Some on the sidewalk, others on the driveway, or the house. All of them have gone into my new butterfly house where they can create their chrysalis.
Many of the caterpillars have been their chrysalis in the Dutchman pipe plant. Itsbeen fun finding them. They blend in perfectly!
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/
A walk through the garden this morning revealed a lucky find of baby polydamas caterpillars just emerging from its eggs. Some were still eating the remains of the eggs. I love mornings like this, finding the miracles of nature in my own backyard.
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. 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 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.
For more information, and additional photos, click on https://sweetbutterflybliss.com/polydamas-swallowtail-butterfly/?frame-nonce=e7c6cffbc2
There were lots of half eaten Dutchman pipe leaves scattered along the pathway of my garden yesterday, which only meant one thing. I had some big polydamas caterpillars up above. Looking up I spotted seven polydamas swallowtail caterpillars hidden deep within the Dutchman pipe vines. I found the babies a few weeks ago and then they vanished. I was so happy to see that they are still there, much bigger. They look to be either in their last instar or very close. So, to enjoy the final stages, I cut some of the vine and put it in the butterfly house along with a handfull of the caterpillars.
This morning there were three of them clinging onto the same vine, while the other two found some big green leaves to munch. The caterpillar can grow up to 2.1″ in length before creating their girdle.
The link below will direct you to my page about the polydamas swallowtail butterfly for more information and photographs.