Congrats, Mary! That's about the same number of hatchlings I found on a ptelea trifoliata a day or so ago, and they've already grown noticeably - amazing! It's good you brought them in to raise - if I leave hatchlings outside, I find their remains in a day or two.
Sherry

Do you find them to be cannableistic, Miss Sherry? I seem to recall my very first batch a couple years ago that started out with 3, then 2 and then only one left. I had brought them in to raise so I figured the only thing that could have happened was that one ate the others.

I was so surprised to see them. I had seen one GST a couple days before our trip hanging around my neighbors Grapefruit tree but not around my WL. Maybe I should go off on vacation more often!

Maybe so, that was some vacation!
I haven't found them to be cannabalistic, but I've heard others say they are. I just make sure that they, and all my cats, have ample fresh food, and I keep the sizes separated. Right now, I've got two caterpillars from the first batch left, one has just emptied its bowels and is about to pupate, and the other one is STILL eating - the others have been chrysalids long enough that they should be emerging any day now. The one still eating was much smaller and slower growing than the others, so I separated him out, also the next to smallest one (that's now pupating) in yet another cage. Also, if I see them crowding up on one leaf, even though they may be the same size, I put more fresh food up right next to them to encourage one of them to move to the other leaf. If they eat each other, I think it's just an accident, they certainly don't seek each other out for food.
Sherry

I have heard that Monarchs can be cannabalistic, too, but I never found that to be true when I raised them.

I don't think Giant Swallowtails move at all sometimes. They are SOOOOOOOOO slow. You never see them scurrying around like Monarch cats!

Susan

OH yes, those GSTs are most definitely cannibalistic! Keep the big guys away from the little guys. I learned my lesson SEVERAL times (I 'tested' the theory, to be sure). OH boy, did I learn my lesson! The big guys ended up BIGGER!!! ;P Of course, I never saw them EAT the little ones (thank goodness).

GSTs do move slowly but they have got to be one of my most faves for 'petting' cuz they remind me of Gummi Worms. Sure, they look gnarly but they are sure sweet! My Kindergartners adore them as well. I don't have any yet but have been looking for them on my Rue and citrus plants. :)

tdogmom, my first graders loved GSTs also. We raised 6 and the first one emerged the last day of school (May 18, 2008). I was so happy that my students got to see it and release it in the butterfly garden at school. We showed all the first grade classes before we released it. It was so amazing to watch it fly into the sky.

My Kindergartners LOVE the larvae AND the butterflies! I have been getting stories of their 'sightings' lately and keep hoping to find eggs on my citrus and Rue at homeÂ

My first two giants have emerged this morning, and I've already released them. No butterflies are as rip roarin' and ready to go as giant swallowtails!
The smallest cat in that group still hasn't emptied its bowels to pupate - amazing!
Sherry

I have 7 got 10 eggs on my rue and put them in cage .but only have 7 left they dont have a good survivel rate for me .Last time I got 3 eggs and all died before 2 tristar mine do better on rue than lemon or lime.Hope all mine live they in 3 tri now.

My giant swallowtails only lay eggs on new growth citrus - like lemon, orange or lime - leaves, Angie. A giant swallowtail once laid some eggs on some old orange leaves, and I found the hatchlings dead near the end of the leaf - I get the impression they can't tolerate old growth at all. So if all you've got to feed GST cats is old citrus leaves, then I'd switch them to rue or ptelea or zanthoxylum if you have them.
I found my last batch on ptelea new growth - my orange tree isn't making new growth at the moment, so I'm sure that's why she chose ptelea.
I've got several rue plants to use if the others won't do.
Sherry

MS Sherry I have very little(and I mean little) new growth on my citrus and it is full of eggs. I have 13 cats inside now with even more eggs outside. If they will only eat new growth, I am in trouble. I do not rue. Advice, please?

No privately owned nurseries around you? I find my Rue at them in the Herb section. I've never seen it at the big box stores like HD, Lowe's, or Walmart.

If you know someone who has some, it roots very, very easily.

Susan

Maybe the ones that are already on the new growth will be able to grow big enough on the new growth to survive eating old growth in their later instars. My giant cats eat older growth when they're bigger and do fine.
The only suggestion I've got is for you to call all the nurseries and big box stores on the Coast looking for rue, or buy a citrus tree with a lot of new growth on it. Or you can bring me your eggs, and I'll feed them.
I'll root you some rue if you'd like, but it won't be ready in time for the eggs you've got now.
Sherry

I am going to call nurseries looking for rue today. I will also look into getting a third citrus tree for the new growth. I think if they can get bigger they will eat the old but I do not have enough new to get them bigger. I had alot of new in March and April but it is now old. I would love some rootings for the future if I can't find any. I will let you know if I can't get enough to feed them.

I called every nursery in the phone book from Waveland to Moss Point. Nobody had Rue. Some even asked me what it was. Do Giant Swallowtails ever eat queen anne's lace? I see it growing wild close by. I am thinking about trying to find a prickly ashe in the woods. I am going to try the new old leaves from my citrus.

Another thing I've found with GSTs (I'd better put this info on my blog if I haven't already done so!) is that they seem to be ULTRA sensitive to cold in the earlier instars. I found that when raising them indoors that you need to keep them fairly warm and away from any cool drafts. :)

Here is a link that might be useful: tdogmom's Butterfly Guide

Prickly-Ash, Hercule's Club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis), Wild Lime (Zanthoxylum fagara), Hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata), various Citrus, including Lemon (Citrus limon), Orange (Citrus sinensis), Bitter Orange (Citrus aurantium), Pummelo (Citrus maxima) and the herb Rue (Ruta graveolens), and reputedly Dictamnus or Gas Plant.

If you are in zone 9, you must be close to the gulf, no? Mail Order Natives has some Ptelea trifoliata trees (Florida online nursery), and I believe they also have Hercules' Club. You may also be able to find something on eBay.

Susan

I live less than 6 miles from the beach. I look at the pictures online of prickly ash and the hoptree all the time. Then I look around for them. We had a tree with thorns that my husband cut down. It keeps growing back, but I do not recall any berries. I cut some new growth and put it with the citrus leaves. Will the cats know not to eat it if it is not prickly ash? Because it has definitely been nibbled on. That would be terrible if they ate it and died. Anyway I cut some newer old growth today. I did go to Walmart but their citrus trees were pitiful. I am going to Lowes tomorrow. Last week they had them with new growth. I also may be taking a quick trip to Texas with a connecting flight through Houston. Someone said they have Rue there. My brain is plotting a way to get some and put it in my bag. lol

They'll know not to eat the leaves, if they're not prickly ash. Good luck on your quest for GST host plants!
Sherry

I have leaf miners all over the new growth but even on the new growth most dont make it to the 2 enstar I even grew lemons from seed to feed them it works great all leafs are tender but dang them leaf miners I hate them.I love rue it works best for me but the mother rarely lays her eggs on my rue just the lime mostly so i get them and keep them safe from ants and spiders and put them on rue.