Well, Susan, I've got lots and lots of my own egg clusters, many about to hatch, but I've also got lots and lots of various types of aristolochia. I'll e-mail you my address, and if you still want to, you can send them to me - maybe it'll add genetic diversification to my pipevine swallowtail population, if that's possible with butterflies.
Then maybe later on, when your aristolochias have grown, I'll send you some eggs.
MissShery

Congrats Susan! But, I feel your pain. Don't know what to say. I knew that they would easily find your vines.

I'm sorry to say that I just can't right now. I still have a fertile myrtle continuing to lay eggs, with cats of various sizes on the vines, and 3 of my 21 crys. have emerged. I guess that they'll go until the food runs out.

I'll check with Marilyn to see if see knows of anyone who has bought vines from her is pipevineless.

By all means, take Miss Sherry up on her offer if you like. She has graciously helped so many of us on this forum. You rock, Miss Sherry! :) Genetic diversification is good.

Susan, just follow your heart. :)

Didn't you say that there is someone close with a large pipevine vine that you used to pass by on your way to work?

It turned out not to be pipevine, Linda.

Wouldn't you know, she was back yesterday and I have two more clusters, one with just two eggs, but I would say a total of about 12-15 eggs, if not more. She is persistent, if nothing else, and the host she is using is A. clematitis. If I were able to raise just one, it would have to be on that, plus A. serpentaria, plus A. macrophylla, plus A. tomentosa, a very veritable buffet that I'm not sure would be good for them.

MissSherry, if you can explain to me how to mail them, I would appreciate it. Please send me an e-mail with your addie and instructions, and I'll do my best to get these babies in the mail, unless I find a source between today and tomorrow. I would buy pipevine (I imagine Satterlee's has some), but I'm afraid it would be chemically treated and there wouldn't be time to leach the chemicals out of the soil and foliage.

Susan

Susan, I sent you an e-mail with my addy and brief instructions - maybe it didn't go through?
Put them in some type of small, hard container so they won't get crushed - the type container used for film is good, also the containers that contain the chem strips diabetics use. Leave the eggs on the stems or leaves they're on, stick them in the little containers, put the little containers in some type of regular mailing box or padded envelope and mail them.
I'll mail you my address again.
MissSherry

I was at the kitchen sink, cleaning blackberries I've just picked, and scouring out the sink before I wash dishes, when I thought of something - Dan in Ohio/Cecropia has pipevines and no pipevine swallowtail cats. So I tore myself away from all that fun I was having in the kitchen to come to the computer - yoohoo, you out there, Dan? I know you're going to be raising a lot of cecropia cats and may not want any PVS eggs right now, but maybe you do?
MissSherry

I will find something, but I just remember that tomorrow is a holiday, so I won't be able to mail them until Tuesday. If that's the case, I will have them overnighted to you, MissSherry.

Susan

Perhaps, that is 1 of Edith's offsprings, Susan. Her whole backyard is full of Clematitis. She gave me my 1st start of it, and that is what got Miss Sherry interested in it. Unfortunately, mine has not colonized as well, as it is in pretty much full shade in the summer. She does not have tomentosa or macrophylla that I know of.

I have had trouble getting newly hatched pipevine cats to go to anything but the particular type of plant that they were hatched on. Miss Sherry, are yours less selective? When they are older, it doesn't seem to matter.

If she has no luck finding other clematitis, she may come back and lay eggs on your tomentosa, macrophylla, and serpentaria. At 1st, my lil lady was only laying on tomentosa. Then she gave up trying to find other tomentosa around, and was less selective. You may need to cover your other plants. I know that Rod said to protect your young serpentaria if they are quite small, or they may not recover.

I know that the OKC Zoo does not have pipevine vines anymore. They all died out. I am not aware if the Myriad Gardens do or not. I am inclined to say no, but they should!!! And, Will Rogers should, also!!! We should start a campaign!!!

Well, I agree, Linda. I've thought about trying to encourage nurseries like TLC or Horn's to establish a butterfly gardening section. I could help them do it and acquire host plants and nectar plants for many butterflies, including the pipevines and offer to do classes on butterfly gardening and all that goes with it. I called every place in town today and the only pipevine available is A. elegans - of no use to us. OKC Zoo should try to re-establish pipevines. I wonder what caused them to die out? species? neglect?

I will contact Myriad to see if they have any. Does Edith live in OKC? I don't think I know her, do I? Actually, I got my clematitis from Lazy S's Farms. It is slowly beginning to colonize, but not enough to support probably even one pipevine. My serpentaria's are very small shrubs right now, my A. macrophylla is only up about 18", and my A. tomentosa is finally starting to grow some leaves, but they are small.

I wonder if that native nursery in Clinton has any? I could call them tomorrow - I bet they're open. But, my daughter has a picnic tomorrow so I'd have to get there and back fast.

You'd think these darned butterflies wouldn't lay eggs where there's not plenty of host material. I should have covered mine, but I had no clue they would lay eggs so quickly this year, when I've had that clematitis for 3 years now. It's cropping up about 2-3' away from the main plant now.

Maybe I should just abort the eggs?????

Susan

The last that I checked, Sunshine Nursery in Clinton does not sell clematitis, but Sherry, the owner's wife did have clematitis established at their home with no pipevine cats several years ago. She was not willing to sell any of her personal clematitis with me at the time. I had always planned to share some cats with her when I started getting some. They may have found her plants by now.

Edith lives near downtown OKC, and works at the OKC Zoo. I met her several years ago at a Monarch tagging at the the Zoo. We got to talking about Pipevines, and my dream of getting them started. She happened to say that she had a colony at her house, and invited me by to see them, and shared some clematis plants, and a few large cats at the time. My vines were quite young, as they had only been planted that year. That was the first that I and Miss Sherry had ever heard of clematis. I may check with her later today, to see if she would want your eggs. She may not want the eggs, but may be interested in newly hatched cats. She may not, if her vines are full of cats.

That year, the outside butterfly garden at the Zoo was gorgeous. And, there were several pipevine vines thriving. Last year, when I went to the OKC 1st Butterfly Count, the outside garden was pretty sparse. There were no pipevines, and most of the native milkweed had died out. Years of drought, triple digit temps, lack of funds and help, had caused a significant loss. The money went to the newer enclosed butterfly garden, and now the big Centennial trails. So, the outdoor butterfly garden has been neglected. :(

Last year, when I visited with Edith, she said that she did not have 1 pipevine swt. The drought had killed out her colony. Hopefully, they are getting re-established again.

Linda, my PVSs prefer to eat what they started out with, but eventually they'll switch if they have to.
I hope y'all find a good home for Susan's PVS eggs - I'll take them if you can't find any other place for them, but it'd be better to keep them in Oklahoma.
MissSherry

At this point, MissSherry, I don't know that they would make the transit from here to Mississippi before they hatch.

If you can find out whether or not Edith has any pipevine, I would be happy to either give her the eggs or hatchlings, or to split them up. I think I could get a couple to later instars on the A. clematitis that I have. You are right, it is slow to colonize, and mine is in part shade, too. My A. macrophylla has slowed down in growth right now, and I don't have more than about 8 or 9 leaves on each one. I gave them some more chicken manure, but so far, they aren't doing much. The tomentosa is taking off, but still small vines.

My A. serpentaria is growing very well - the best of all the pipevines I have. I would risk the plants to feed the PVS cats if they would transfer to that, and then to other pipevines if necessary.

My first preference is to give them to Edith if she will take them. I can't imagine the drought killed of A. clematitis. I barely watered mine last summer and yet they are still doing well, in fact, better than other years.

Susan

Susan, Edith didn't lose her vines. Her Pipevine swallowtail butterflies died out. Due to the drought, virus, genetics?, she did not see 1 Pipevine swallowtail in her yard last year. The butterfly colonies sometimes do that. Remember, Rod Angeroth said that he did not see 1 Pipevine swallowtail last year. New blood needs to come in and re-establish the colony, sometimes.

I need to check with Rod, and see if he has them this year.

All of my Aristolochia has done excellent this year. It was had to get new growth the last couple of years with the drought. I just wish that I had gotten MORE!!!