Black sawallowtail cats

[sbannister]

I found my first two eggs on my parsley and brought them in. I've been checking the parsley for two years and finally got some eggs. Anyway, I am rearing them separately, but brought some monarch eggs in within a day or so. The monarchs are up to an inch long now, but the swallowtails are still about 1/4" or less. Does anyone know if that's normal? They seem otherwise healthy.

Thanks,
Susan

[Mona Miller]

http://www.butterflygardeningandconserv ... /black.php
This website has some good pictures.

http://melanys.tripod.com/black_swallowtail.htm
"The egg takes about 6 days to hatch. Caterpillars stay in this stage for 10-14 days, and then stay in the chrysalis stage 8-12 days, or they will overwinter. Some have brown chrysalis', and some are green."

[Mona Miller]

I grow dill, fennel, rue, and Italian and Curley Parsley for the Black Swallowtails. I also have Queen Anne's Lace wild and they use that, too.

[sbannister]

Well, one of the four black swallowtail cats died - I don't know why. It didn't turn black or do anything but stop eating. One formed a green crysalis and eclosed about two weeks ago. The other two made brown crysalids at the top of the container and have still not eclosed. How long should I wait? I think I will try putting them outside where it's warmer. Maybe they think it's winter in my house. I hope they are not dead.

These are my first black swallowtails, so any advice will be appreciated.

[Mona Miller]

Is your parsley safe? If you buy it at places like Lowes, their herbs are sprayed to keep those pesky caterpillars from eating up the plants. They don't realize that people will actually buy plants with caterpillars on them.

Flies/wasp can lay eggs in the eggs would you believe and then that can cause them to die or they will go through their cycle and out of the chrysalis will come the wasp or fly--scary.

If your house is too cool, below 70 then the cycle will take longer, but it shouldn't kill them.

If you raise them outside you will need a container that prevents the flies from laying on them through the netting.

http://www.livemonarch.com/store_enclosures.php
These enclosures will keep the flies from laying on them through the netting outside. They are predator proof.

[sbannister]

[quote="Mona Miller"]Is your parsley safe? If you buy it at places like Lowes, their herbs are sprayed to keep those pesky caterpillars from eating up the plants. They don't realize that people will actually buy plants with caterpillars on them.

My parsley has been in my garden for 2-3 years (we have had mild winters) so no pesticides there. I think I will keep them inside, and keep the room a little warmer and move them to where they get a little more natural light. I'm anxious to see the butterflies and also, I need that cage for my next Monarch generation! I would have to sanitize the cage before doing that, and yes, I know about those wasps! javascript:emoticon(':frown:')

Is the Monarch cycle known to be faster than the swallowtails'? The cats grew a lot slower in this case, but it's my first set, so I don't know if that's normal.

[Mona Miller]

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plan ... cycle.html
25 days

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plan ... index.html
Nice pictures of the life cycle, but the first picture is that of a Pipevine Swallowtail. They don't use parsley, they use Pipevine.

http://www.butterflygardeningandconserv ... /black.php
This website gives more details about the life cycle.