Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillars

psyc1210 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-07-2008, 11:34 PM

Another caterpillar that I found today was a very tiny tiger swallowtail caterpillar...along with an egg. So here are a few pictures, and I will continue posting the pictures that I take of it's lifestages if you all want to see.

butt0n · #2 (**permalink**) 06-08-2008, 12:44 PM

Ooh! I love butterfies...thanks for sharing

BillC · #3 (**permalink**) 06-09-2008, 07:16 AM

Keep them coming. Can't get enough of your pics!

Bill

mbasden · #4 (**permalink**) 06-09-2008, 08:13 AM

They are really neat. At my house I have a spice garden and one of the items I have planted is Parsley, and the Swallowtail larvae love it. The little ones do favor bird droppings and the bigger they get the more colorful they are. I have seen the pupa split and the butterfly emerge and it is a beautiful thing. Have fun with this with your children because they are especially interested to see this. My daughter used to love stuff like this and now she is graduating from high school and will be going to college and majoring in Biology and Sciences. This may have stemmed from her early interest in stuff like this!

psyc1210 · #5 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 01:20 PM

Update on this guy- you can tell he's gotten bigger, and his color change is starting.

psyc1210 · #6 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 01:21 PM

btw, how did this end up in the "other plants" folder? I thought it was in general chat....

psyc1210 · #7 (**permalink**) 06-12-2008, 12:43 AM

A bit more green today. and the egg is sitting right near him. You can see it's dark today, and it was green a few days ago. I'll have a new baby caterpillar shortly.

BillC · #8 (**permalink**) 06-12-2008, 09:15 AM

JoBeth, it is great to see these changes through the lens of your camers. I am looking forward the the day you get the pics of the butterfly emerging from the chrysalis.

Bill

psyc1210 · #9 (**permalink**) 06-12-2008, 09:37 PM

The baby hatched today.

solay · #10 (**permalink**) 06-12-2008, 10:01 PM

It's kinda cute How long do they live? I was under the impressions butterflies only live a few days and then die. Is that true?

psyc1210 · #11 (**permalink**) 06-12-2008, 10:09 PM

No, not all die within a few days. Some do and some don't, really depends on if they find a food source and shelter. The migrating monarchs must live for a good while.

mbasden · #12 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 02:48 PM

Is the leaf you are holding a poplar tree leaf? Is that the larval food for the tiger swallowtail? I'm curious since there are alot of poplar trees in NC, and tiger swallowtails.

psyc1210 · #13 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbasden

Is the leaf you are holding a poplar tree leaf? Is that the larval food for the tiger swallowtail? I'm curious since there are alot of poplar trees in NC, and tiger swallowtails.

It's a tulip tree leaf

psyc1210 · #14 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 10:38 PM

Here is an update for today. The big guy is really green now, and you can see the little fake "eyes" starting. Can't wait til he gets bigger!

solay · #15 (**permalink**) 06-13-2008, 11:38 PM

Once again. I'm scared. Me no like eyes!!! EEEK!!! Ha! Ha! I really get skirmish with wormy stuff. Can't wait for the butterflies though.

norris · #16 (**permalink**) 06-14-2008, 04:19 AM

Hungry little guys aren't they

BillC · #17 (**permalink**) 06-15-2008, 12:27 PM

Very happy about all of the stuff coming JoBeth. Should not be too long before first change.

Bill

psyc1210 · #18 (**permalink**) 06-17-2008, 05:01 PM

Update for today

psyc1210 · #19 (**permalink**) 06-21-2008, 05:04 PM

Update

The big guy is even bigger...he'll probably be starting his chrysalis shortly. I don't think he can get much bigger than he already is.

And the little one that came from the egg is growing nicely

psyc1210 · #20 (**permalink**) 06-23-2008, 09:40 PM

Update today:

The big guy is amazingly large. I'm very surprised that he hasn't begun his chrysalis.

In the last picture, he had been trying to crawl on my laptop, and fell over.

norris · #21 (**permalink**) 06-24-2008, 02:00 AM

LOL, in the middle pic, before I enlarged it it looked like you have it on a leash

psyc1210 · #22 (**permalink**) 06-24-2008, 09:38 PM

Oh my gosh, this is NEAT!!!! I caught the big guy making his chrysalis...however, I've never seen their preparation before. I always noticed that they have a small thread that goes around the top of their body...but I caught him making it!! If you look closely you'll see a little thread in the pictures. He's currently securing that to the tupperware container.

ALSO, note his color change. He is really different looking today.