I don't know what the problem could be. Giant swallowtails are one of the easiest caterpillars for me to raise. I rarely ever have a death at any stage, and I only lose cats when I get so overwhelmed with their numbers that I don't bring some in and they get eaten outside by predatory stink bugs or wasps. I've found nearly all my hatchlings on rue this year - they've ignored the wafer ash and only used my orange tree a few times, odd! - so there's nothing wrong with rue. It could be that something happens to the eggs during their trip from Florida to Pennsylvania that changes them, or maybe the environment you're raising them in isn't to their liking - are you raising them in a cool/air-conditioned house? They like the heat, they're thriving on my shaded but still hot front porch right now. Are you feeding them fresh food? No caterpillars, giant swallowtails included, like wilted/old food. It's odd that yours are going off their food plant - mine never do that, clinging to their host plants like glue. I think it's most likely that they're not getting the heat that they like. As I remember from years past, you raise your cats inside, and, even if you're now raising them outside, I keep reading and hearing about the cool, wet weather up north. Sherry

Hi Everyone, I'm a scientist working on butterflies, and I'm trying to get ahold of a Zebra Swallowtail for some genetic analysis (I live in New Jersey). This seemed like a good thread to inquire if anyone living in the southern US might be able and willing to collect (or already has) one of these butterflies they might be able to spare? Full disclosure, sadly the specimen would need to be sacrificed for DNA extraction. However, the knowledge we'll gain from this will be invaluable to the scientific community. If you have any thoughts/suggestions/leads on this, please contact me (maardema@gmail.com). Thanks!

I love this website on 'Raising Butterflies' by Todd Stout. Many things can happen. It could be a parasite, a bacterial infection, or just failure to thrive. I usually try to figure out what happened and then change my rearing practices. If I can't figure out what happened. I don't give up. I take in a new batch and start over. Some times, it could be pesticides, too. Be careful with buying plants at nurseries or pay close attention to what your community or next door neighbor is spraying. Here is a link that might be useful: How to Raise Butterflies, Anise Swallowtails by Todd Stout

How do you know it's a Canadian swallowtail caterpillar instead of an eastern tiger swallowtail? Were you in Canada or the northern tier of the U.S. when you found it and brought it home? Sherry