In case anyone is interested, the caterpillar in the foreground of the second picture in the first post WAS preparing to pupate. Here it is now. As you can see, the new pupa is mostly green, while the underside is yellow. I assume it will eventually all turn brown. The picture clearly shows the strand holding it to the stem of the parsley, and some of the caterpillar shape is visible inside. There is another caterpillar that is ready for pupation. It also has "gone still" and while the head remains attached to the stem as though it's holding on with its mouth, the portion of its body just below the head is curved outward, with the rest of its body tapering closer to the stem to where the bottom is still attached. I don't see any sign of the strand that will attach the upper part of its body to the stem, but maybe it hasn't done that yet. The pupation beyond this point is pretty rapid -- the one that's a pupa now took only one day from appearing like a large curved caterpillar "statue" and the pupa. The younger ones are still feeding and grasp the stems and leaves with all their feet, so they lie flat and move around. They can live for more than six months in the pupal stage, to emerge in the Spring. The parsley it's attached to will die with winter freezes, so I'll have to find a protected spot outside for this one and the other ones when they pupate.

There is a chance the dill you bought from the store has insecticide on it that will kill the caterpillars. Plus, BST cats will blow through a LOT of dill so you would probably run out. I'd try to find a wild food source that you could use. Queen Anne's Lace is a weed that grows in many places. Keeping the caterpillars in a container with fresh QAL leaves is how I raised BSTs for many years. Some people have also suggested parsley from your grocery store isle. Good site for how to raise butterflies (by one of our members): http://www.mybutterflyguide.com/Raising_Butterflies.html KC Here is a link that might be useful: BST hostplants

Thanks for all the kind words... it's very encouraging! However, its been 48 hours and he still is not climbing or eating. I do see his little body moving.. just a tad, almost like he is breathing ever so lightly. If he is going to form chrysalis- how long will it be before I can tell this is happening? Also, I bought him a butterfly garden habitat that is safe for him- but I am so afraid to move him now, should I wait to move him? Thanks again...

Thank you guys so much! I am worried because it's my first time, also because I just moved in a new apartment where I do have a private garden and a shed, but I don't know if there are any vermin. As for the BST I have never laid my eyes on them in live, only saw them on google. I was staying few months with my MIL and she lives in country side and has a huge garden, so she gave me a little part to do my vegetable garden. Since I am crazy about herbs (I gome from Republic of Georgia, where we cook with tons of herbs) I planted all sorts and few weeks ago when I went to clean up my garden I found those. Neighbour told me they made white butterflies, but after googling I found out what they were. As a kid in Georgia I used to have silkworms and since then I always wanted to breed butterflies, never really got to it since we have been moving all around Europe. I just got lucky and I want to carry on. I was planning to get some butterfly kits and nets online, but when I saw their prices I made the netting myself as I am sure many of you do. Now when I picked my Dill and Parsley there seemed to be another egg and it's hatched now, I am going to visit my MIL and check my plants if I find some more. Thanks everyone for helping and sorry to be a pain. BTW I am having problems uploading photos directly from my PC, gonna figure that out so I can share some photos too, Another question, container does nod need to have air holes?