I have had some polydamas swallowtails emerging this spring from last year's batch that overwintered. Last year was my first time to ever see polydamas in my yard, and it was fun, because they laid eggs and I had tons of caterpillars. I just saw a female laying eggs on my A. fimbriata in pints. I have been drawn away from work with the camera by them numerous times, but they have proven next to impossible to photograph so far this year. A couple days ago, I am guessing they were males because of the way the were just cruising, and today the difference was she was laying eggs and looking all around much more closely at the plants. She also seemed quite a bit smaller than those that were flying around a couple days ago.

Congrats, Mary! Considering how easy giant swallowtails are to raise, I'm sure you'll have time to raise a few. A giant swallowtail passed through here, but left me no eggs - maybe it was a male. You sure need something like a few caterpillars to keep your spirits up these days! And I hope things are looking up for your hubby! I'm not surprised your pipevines didn't make any seed pods, since that's apparently a once-in-a-life-time thing. But A. tomentosa really colonizes, not the first few years, but after it gets a little age on it, it really spreads. Mine have colonized all down the length of long fences around my garden, and some is growing into a gardenia bush in the corner. The pipevine swallowtails have found it all and laid eggs everywhere, including on the A. fimbriata plants I got from seeds you sent me, Mary - thanks! Two of the monarchs in the cage are chrysalides, and all the rest but one are in the "J" - the ones outside must have pupated or are now doing so, because they were farther along than the caged ones. The two chrysalides look healthy, no sign of having been parasitized or having any disease - knock on wood! I'm raising two spicebush swallowtails and will soon bring two more in to raise. I'm also raising two palamedes and one tiger swallowtail, plus two red-spotted purples - there are LOTS more of these on the host plants outside. I seem to have gotten over compulsively bringing in as many as I find to raise myself - I just can't handle a lot of cats at one time any more. The red admirals and American ladies in my cages are emerging daily, about ?three of each so far, with plenty more to go. I also raised four little sleepy oranges, which are now chrysalides, soon to emerge. The 25 or 26 pipevine swallowtail chrysalides in the cage should emerge in a couple of weeks, and there are undoubtedly a lot more outside on about the same time schedule. With the almost daily addition of new eggs to the vines outside, there will now be overlapping generations of pipevine swallowtails, good news. We've had 2.20" of rain over the past two days, with more expected this weekend. I love not having to water!! Sherry

That's great about your poly eggs, Mary! I'm looking forward to having gulf frits, but I don't have enough vines to feed many yet - the cold weather delayed their emergence. An adult gulf frit came through here several weeks ago, but didn't leave me any eggs. And I SURE hope you get some ZLWs!! Sherry

Congrats! :) You will have more and more of them coming back, now that they know where to find you. :) Soon you'll be complaining that there's not enough food for them. :) Side note: BSTs are like the nija butterflies, at my house. Until this last weekend, I ONLY EVER saw them when I was releasing them--they'd fly away. And then I'd find more eggs and/or cats later, so I knew they'd been back... but NEVER caught them flying around. Just because you don't see the butterflies, doesn't mean you don't have them. :)