Tag Archives: wild lime

The lifecycle continues

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I am ecstatic to share that the measures I have taken in the garden have worked! I purchased these drawstring netting bags that I put on the plant, and check daily to see if the caterpillars have enough food.

It’s great because the caterpillars are still in their environment, just protected from predators, on their host plant, wild lime.

I had three giant swallowtail caterpillars that I have watched grow from an egg to a chrysalis.

The giant swallowtail will attach its posterior end to a silken pad and the anterior end is attached to a thin silk girdle, according to the University of Florida.

Now the wait has begun for the stunning giant swallowtail butterfly to emerge. 

Exciting find

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There’s something about a giant swallowtail gracefully flying into the garden that catches my eye and makes me stop to admire its beauty. The wild lime tree, one of its host plants, is planted right outside of my office window, so the giant swallowtail catches my eye from time to time when visiting the garden. 

The best part is I watched her leave many eggs behind.  So, when I had a minute, I checked the tree in the area I saw her mostly, and found four eggs! 

I have decided to stop raising caterpillars inside of a butterfly house and let the lifecycle unfold in nature.

With that said, I found a new way to help caterpillars if needed . . .

I have seen ideas to use mesh bags on the plants. So, I added the bags to the leaves that had eggs. This measure has been taken as the little caterpillars seem to always vanish a few days after they hatch.

I am excited to share that all the eggs have hatched and I have baby swallowtail caterpillars growing on my wild lime tree.

I am hoping this measure, while leaving them in their environment, will help them continue to grow, so they can form their chrysalis.

Wild Lime

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A few years ago, I purchased a wild lime tree, which has tripled in size, and is finally blooming for the first time. I added this plant to the garden because it is a host plant for the giant swallowtail butterfly, and Schaus’ swallowtail butterfly.

According to the Florida Wildflower Foundation, this plant is a shrub to small tree that grows naturally in hammocks in Central and South Florida. The peak flowering season, although blooms year-round, is in the winter and spring. The fruit, the foundation states, provides food for both small wildlife and birds.

The flowers appear in clusters that are yellow to yellowish green on the leaf axils. The fruit are round and yellowish green, the foundation stated, and when mature turn to a “dark brown husk” that when splits show one, or two tiny black shiny seeds. The wild lime has tons of thorns on the branches.

It’s growth habit is 5-20′ plus and 3-10′ wide. My wild lime is in direct sun, therefore produces a “fuller crown.”

Yesterday while wandering the garden I noticed that a monarch butterfly was enjoying the nectar from the flowers. A double win!

Graceful

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Graceful comes to mind when I see the giant swallowtail glide through the garden. This butterfly grabbed my attention immediately and held it as it fluttered throughout the garden, landing on my wild lime to deposit eggs, as well as nectar from my red penta flower.

The giant swallowtail’s forewing spans 11.7 to 17.5 cm for males and a span of 13.5 to 18.8 cm for females. The demand your attention when they flutter in the garden, just for the pure size of them.

The females tend to lay single eggs, cream to brown, on the upper surface of leaves – citrus plants – that are 1 to 1.5 mm in size. The larval, caterpillars, will go through five instars (stages) and they mainly eat at night.

The Giant

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There is just something about the giant swallowtail butterfly that captures your attention and keeps it as it gracefully flutters about, landing periodically on different plants. Today, I am completely stoked! I brought home a wild lime, its host plant, to add to my garden from The Butterfly Estates.

I have not spotted the giant swallowtails in the garden since before Hurricane Ian in September. I am hoping with its host plant, they will begin visiting my garden again, gracing us with their beauty.