Raising Zebra Swallowtail Caterpillars
bandjzmom
10 years ago
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bernergrrl
10 years agoJason_in_KY
10 years agoRelated Discussions
Zebra Swallowtail habits
Comments (10)I bought 2 Pygmeas.($15 each). She only had two kinds the Obovata, which grows larger and the Pygmea. Her name is Terri and she seems very knowledgable, gives precise directions for planting. The plants are tiny, tiny with only a couple leaves. I am willing to give it a shot - see what happens. I also bought a False Nettles for the Red Admirals - actually saw one butterfly in the yard the other day. Seeing Sulphurs, Maonarchs, Polys, Giant and small Frits. Hubby bought a Flatwoods Plum from the guy from Biosphere. We looked around the gardens but it was so crowded around the butterfly garden area with vendors that you couldn't really stop in one place for long. Tom - print yourself out a map of where the vendors will be - they do not provide maps so if you are looking for someone in particular, know ahead of time where it will be. Biosphere and Pietro's PawPaws are near each other....See MoreZebra Swallowtail EGG
Comments (1)I'm absolutely green with envy! :) Congrats, congrats, Samantha - I wish I could say I've raised some, but I haven't been that fortunate. I imagine it's pretty much like raising any other swallowtail - hopefully, if there's anything unique about raising them, somebody will post that info for you. Sherry...See MoreSpicebush Swallowtail Caterpillars, with Palamedes on the Way!
Comments (14)Yes, they must grow well from seed - jillions of them come up every spring underneath mature trees. Most don't mature, but the ones that come up at a decent distance from the mother plant will grow and make a big tree. Tom, I checked the spot where the camphor tree used to be, and it's completely gone. I guess the big freeze last January killed it completely. There are a few nurseries that sell it, but all but one say they can't send them to Florida (and many other southern states) because they're supposed to be so invasive. So you could probably find some in a field somewhere, if they're indeed that invasive. Mississippi is listed as one of the states they're not allowed to send them to, but I live in the southern part of the state, and we regularly have freezes that cut them back, and the last one apparently killed them outright. So, probably, they're only REALLY invasive in south Florida. Maybe this nursery will send you one anyway. Sherry Here is a link that might be useful: Ohio Nursery Selling Camphor Tree...See MoreBlack swallowtail caterpillars to raise
Comments (2)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...See MoreJason_in_KY
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