Spyglass on the Black Swallowtail Butterfly--Papilio polyxenes
My children and I find eastern black swallowtail butterflies in my garden every year. I grow plants on which the adult female swallowtail is glad to lay her eggs. As the caterpillars grow, they munch on the leaves. These caterpillars are sometimes called parsleyworms. As you might guess, they do eat parsley, but they especially like the rue in my garden. They also like dill. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to find a chrysalis that we can watch until a brand-new butterfly emerges! It is always exciting!
If you note in the picture of the caterpillar my daughter is holding (she knows to be gentle), the parsleyworm has a scent organ that is starting to protrude. It is bright orange to red and it produces a very odd scent to ward off would-be predators.
There are different kinds of swallowtails, such as the tiger swallowtail, giant swallowtail, pipevine swallowtail, spicebush swallowtail, and zebra swallowtail. It was very educational for us to identify particularly the black swallowtail and draw pictures of the various stage of its life cycle into our nature journals.
The Life Cycle of a Butterfly
- EGG - After mating, the adult female selects a host plant on which to lay her eggs.
- CATERPILLAR - After the eggs hatch, the caterpillar eating machines begin to eat and grow.
- CHRYSALIS - Once the caterpillar finishes growing, it finds a protected spot to molt into a chrysalis.
- BUTTERFLY - After about 10-14 days for most species (unless its a butterfly that has over-wintered), a brand new butterfly will emergy.
Structure of a Butterfly-Friendly Yard
Helpful Elements
- TREES afford protection from the sun and wind and are host plants for many butterfly species. Butterflies love to get juice from overripe fruit which will fall from fruit trees. They also drink sap flowing from wounded trees.
- SHRUBS/HERBS provide beauty, protection and are host plants for many species.
- FLOWERS are the primary source of nectar for butterflies. Butterflies just love nectar.
- WATER, even a damp spot of earth, is appealing to the butterfly. Butterflies get minerals from the damp soil around mud puddles.
- PESTICIDE-FREE. If you want caterpillars, then help protect them and their food by not spraying with insecticides.
A Place for Water
I love to make shallow birdbaths to place around the garden. Birds and butterflies both seem to love them. This is a birdbath I made called Summer Berries. Butterfly Unit Study, Anyone?
Caterpillars in the Field and Garden: A Field Guide to the Butterfly Caterpillars of North America
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From Caterpillar to Butterfly (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 1)
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Full-Color Decorative Butterfly Illustrations CD-ROM and Book (Dover Full-Color Electronic Design)
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Butterflies of North America (Kaufman Focus Guides)
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Caterpillar Spring, Butterfly Summer
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Flowers for Nectar
- Ageratum
- Sweet alyssum
- Nicotiana
- Butterfly weed
- Sea thrift
- Candytuft
- Verbena
- Dianthus
- Echinacea (purple coneflower)
- Lobelia
- Shasta Daisy
- Bachelor's button
- Bee balm
- Coreopsis
- Cosmos
- Delphinium
- Hollyhock
- Marigold
- Nasturtium
- Zinnia
Tiger Swallowtail
Here is a tiger swallowtail that showed up in our garden. Shrubs Butterflies Use
- Cinquefoil
- Butterfly bush
- Lantana
- Lilac
- Spirea
- Mock orange
What Rue Looks Like
I thought you might like to see what rue looks like, since that is what started this whole thing in our yard. The rue has got yellow flowers in the summer and there are many other insects that love it as well.Please use caution if you decide to grow rue. It can cause a phytophototoxic skin reaction, which means that when you get the sap from the plant on your skin, and especially if you are in the sun, you can get blistering. It has happened to me before. As Kathy, one of the commentators mentioned, parsley is a much safer choice.
We will keep our rue here, but just wanted you to be aware that you need to be careful exposing young children to rue.
Leave A Comment Before You Flutter Away!
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Reply
- CCGAL CCGAL Jun 18, 2009 @ 9:09 am
- I found your lens in a Google search today - and liked it so much, I'm featuring it on my lens about my experience with caterpillars in my parsley this year: A Tale of SwallowTails May 2009
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Reply
- SpyGlassQueen SpyGlassQueen May 22, 2009 @ 7:38 pm
- Kathy, you are so correct about rue burning sensitive skin. I was just checking this lens the other day and thinking I needed to include that information. I have actually received burns from the plant by digging them out in the hot sun! Parsley is a wonderful choice. I'll include your information in my lens. Thank you. Lynn
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Reply
- kattwild kattwild May 19, 2009 @ 2:40 pm
- Dear Spy,
Be sure the kids don't join the caterpillars in tasting the rue. Since it is very bitter they aren't too likey but some people get a mild skin rash from rue which is particularly reactive in sunlight. Parsley is a safer alternative if your students want to nibble. I firmly believe you can teach anything in a garden and have lots of books on Gardening with Kids and Hands-on-Science at http://bringmeabook.homestead.com/bookindex.html I also have lots of butterfly stuff at http://whatdidyoubringme.homestead.com/ I made a squid on Butterfly Gardening at http://www.squidoo.com/Gardening4Butterflies
Kathy
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- JoyfulButterfly JoyfulButterfly Mar 26, 2009 @ 10:24 am
- Nice Lens! 5 stars and favorite. I have a two year old and three year old and we have been raising butterflies for several summers now. We raise Swallowtails, Monarchs and Gulf Fritillaries. It really is a lot of fun and the kids love it!
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Reply
- XP XP Mar 27, 2008 @ 8:37 pm
- I love swallowtail butterflies! I was just starting up a lens of my own when I found that someone had already reserved squidoo.com/swallowtail ... nice job!
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by SpyGlassQueen
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