Congrats! Aren't they awesome? Stinky little hungry munchers...I swear, I could smell 'em while I worked on my computer and they were down the hall a ways! Drove me nuts some mornings. :P They sure are pigs, too. WAY more piggy than any other caterpillar I've ever raised, for sure. Have fun and keep us posted!

Oh, as far as how long as pupae? Uh...hmm...I have had some that took as long as fourteen months and some as short as two.

Linda

I am so happy for you! Someday, I am sure I will post the same, right now I just look at my little pipevine, and hope they will grow their tap root fast and start really growing leaves, maybe next year......it's hard to be patient.....

But, you have fun with those beautiful butterflies!

Elaine

Tdog, yes, they are "stinky" lil buggers. Very distinctive smell.

And, they were the most "active, hungry" bunch. I had to be very careful about opening the cage to clean it out. Someone was always trying to get out! And, they did not care at all about changing food from the tomentosa, serpentaria, or clematitis. They scarfed it all up. The ones that I've raised before were more sensitive about changing food. Probably, most of that was because this year, they have put on the most growth. We were in a drought the last 3 years, and it was hard to keep the leaves tender. This spring has been a monsoon season, and they've really put out alot of new growth. Hopefully, I'll have more cats, and they'll help keep the new growth coming.

I did not cut off many stems. Since the cats were already pretty good size, I just cut off the larger tender leaves about 3 times a day, put them in the cage, and they gobbled them up. Hopefully, I'll still have plenty of new growth for the new babies.

Elaine, it is to die for. It is so hard to be patient. Hang in there. Give your plant some time to grow. A native plant friend in Noble says that she has them all summer. I'll share cats when your vine has had time to grow, provided mine hang around this time. :) You may think about getting a couple of more vines. Like the Monarchs, never enough!!!

Congrats, congrats, Linda! I'm so glad you've got plenty of my favorite butterfly! I know what you mean by the distinctive odor, especially when they empty their bowels! At this time of year, mine emerge from their chrysalid after about a month - I think some have emerged after only 3 weeks. I can't remember having any that overwintered from a spring brood. Later in the summer, you'll probably get some that overwinter, and the fall cats will pupate into many chrysalids that spend the winter with you.
And aren't they the piggiest, fastest moving cats you've ever seen, except of course when they're in between instars, when they suddenly freeze. No butterfly is any prettier to my eyes than a male pipevine swallowtail - their turquoise iridescence is what does it!
Congrats, again!
MissSherry

Linda,
These 'guys' are the ones my hubby thinks I should begin to charge rent to. :) tee-hee-hee He thinks they take up 'precious real estate' in our house and with the cost of real estate in Southern California? hmmm...

Oh Linda, what a great post! I'm so happy for you.

Tomorrow, I'll take my first PVS safari to that "special one and only place" where they can be found in CT.

I also plan to stop by a few other spots to see what's flying. Someone from our butterfly group has noted an explosion of Eastern pine elfins nearby. I hope to hit that area with camera in hand.

Someday I hope to raise some pvs cats but can't seem to get my hands on any pipevine.

Maryann

Linda sounds as if you are one happy camper these days.

Maryann - Sunlight Gardens Nursery has A. macrophylla in stock still at $10/quart pot. They are in Tennessee, I believe. There is a $25 minimum order. I know, a ways from you, but I don't know of any place closer.

Niche Gardens has A. tomentosa (but I think macrophylla would do best for you), but they have a $40 minimum order.

LINDA - CONGRATS, CONGRATS, CONGRATS! I'd love to have some PVS's, but I don't think I have enough yet to feed them. Oh, it hurt to say that!!!!!! My tomentosas are just now putting on tiny new leaves. My macrophyllas are growing, but don't have that much foliage yet. My serpentarias (all 3 of them) would not be enough, and my A. clematitis - have about 10 stalks of that. I should buy more, but if I do, I'm afraid in 3 years, I'll have nothing but pipevine in the yard! LOL!

Enjoy them. I check my leaves right now to make sure I DON'T have any because I don't think I have enough to sustain one cat yet. Maybe by summer's end, it will have grown a bunch and I will get some as they fly south.

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Sunlight Gardens

My pipevine from last year is growing some. I planted the two little ones I got earlier this spring on either side. I would love to have to add to either side. Guess I will just have to wait and see how they grow.
{{gwi:475991}}

CalSherry - you haven't seen the big hornworms eat yet! Talk about voracious! Today, I found large frass matter on the VC, but darned if I could find a big hornworm on it! I've found the little bitty ones, but they don't make that kind of frass. A lot of the vine goes unchecked because it hangs over on my neighbor's side of the fence, and he has a locked gate, so I can't get in there to check. Sometimes I can pull lengths of the vine over the top to my side, but I don't want to hurt anything on the vine, so I do that rarely. I thought maybe a dog had climbed up on the vine! LOL!

John Himmelman says to save your butterfly/moth frass in the bottom of your cages (if you use papertowels it is easy) and dump it in your potted plants. Apparently it is good for your plants and it is just vegetable matter. Plus, it doesn't burn the plants either.

Susan

19 cats have pupated, including 1 that fell. I was really surprised that it was still able to shed it skin? Two are left that are still fattening up. And, I still have lots of new growth for the babies yet to come!!! Yippee. She was back again today laying eggs.

How exciting for you Linda.

Ive got a giant pipevine growing over thisaway , and whoooo Ive had eggs on it since i planted it , but never seen not 1 butterfly lay the darn lil eggers .. got plenty of catterbuggers eattin way though .. I beleive the butterfly is a gold rim from what i have read .. Just counted like 60 something eggers on it .. Guess they are gonna have lotsa Happy Meals going on ..