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Butterfly Garden

Found a dozen giant swallowtail eggs today

12 years ago

without really looking. Actually mama laid a couple right in front of my face while I was picking some others. They're baaaaack!

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Comments (10)

MissButterfly
12 years ago
Congrats, congrats!
I raised about 40 giant swallowtails earlier this year, but the adults left, and I haven't seen any in months.
Send some my way, okay? :)
Sherry
tomatoworm59
12 years ago
Fighting8, do you happen to have any tomatoes, peppers, or other plants, where you may catch a few tobacco hornworms yet?
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Thanks, weed30, Christie and Cathy! I went back to the garden and there were more eggs, this time on the other, bigger wafer ash/hop tree/Ptelea trifoliata, I can never figure out what to call them! :) So she came back while I cooled off in the house. I'm cleaning cages right now, because guess what? You know I haven't gotten any gulf frits yet? Well, I saw a female gulf frit laying an egg on one of the passionvines in my garden! I also found some hatchling gulf frit cats, so the gulf frit that I saw passing through about a week - 10 days or so ago probably left me these babies - 'may be the same butterfly. The only problem here is that the hatchlings are eating the flower buds on a passionvine that came from a seed that I planted from fruit from one of my 'Incense' passies. 'Incense' doesn't make pollen, so any seedlings that come from it have as their male parent a passionflower that makes pollen, which, in this case would be either regular P. incarnata or P. incarnata 'alba' a white form of the native maypops. These vines grow next to the 'Incense' in my front yard beds, and bees go back and forth between their flowers all the time. There's always a chance the flowers could be something different or special, probably not, but there's a chance. Oh well, it'll keep making more flowers, that's for sure, because this is one vigorous vine! I imagine the leaves must be more like P. incarnata, since the gulf frits almost never lay eggs on the 'Incense' - that's good! I've got another passionvine P. mooreana growing by 'Incense' and maypops, so I'm hoping for a hybrid from it, too. Anyway, Memorial Day has been a very memorable butterfly day here! Sherry
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I've always heard the common name of Prickly Ash for this tree. I'm reading on another site that the names "Numb Gum" and "Tickle Tongue" have been associated with it. The latin name is Zanthoxylum clava-hercules, I believe. I have a very small Ptelea trifoliata aka Hop Tree, in a pot. I just potted it up to a 5 gallon pot recently. But I don't think I did it any favors by doing that. The leaves are starting to brown on the tips and along the edges. It could be the heat as well that's causing it, but I'm not sure. I haven't had any Giants since 2008 for some reason. I also grow Rue for them. While I am within their range, I think I am on the edge where they aren't as heavily populated here as the Eastern portion of the state. They are so big and beautiful, I wish I saw more of them. Congrats, Sandy!! Susan
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Sassafras is one of the most difficult plants there is to grow on purpose. Where it grows wild on its own, it does fine, spreads itself, but transplanting it is almost impossible. I've also never been able to grow spicebush successfully, tried many times under many different soil, drainage and lighting conditions. In years past, posters would say they'd find spicebush cats on camphor tree. I know it's listed as an invasive, but at least you can purposely grow it. It grows here, too, dies back in winter if we have a hard freeze, but comes back from the roots. There is some growing wild down the street - I may sneak in and take a cutting and see if I can root it. There are some spicebushes/Lindera native to Florida other than L. benzoin that might grow for you if you can just find them for sale or find some growing wild to take a cutting or seeds from. Red-spotted purples use wild black cherry 95% of the time, occasionally use willow or wild crabapple. There are some WBCs coming up here in my town yard, and I'm letting them grow, I haven't found any cats on them yet, but I have seen the adults here occasionally. I found many in the country, raised them myself many times, also saw one on the new country property. Sherry
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I tried putting both lemon and lime leaves in with the current Giant cats at the time of hatching to see if they would eat both. Even though both leaf sets were new growth, the lime leaves were slightly younger. All the cats moved to the more tender lime leaves. And my neighbors lemon has stopped putting on new growth. So no real tender lemon growth for the young cats is available. Plenty of slightly tougher new growth but the GS cats are not ready for that yet. So my experiment will have to be done at another time when both trees have similar growth. I also found out that 2 other neighbors have small citrus trees tucked in their side yards that I am welcome to raid of GS cats and eggs!!! :) I've been inviting them to help release the butterflies. It's so magical to see the look of wonder and awe on peoples faces when they watch butterflies. Anna
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tdogmom
12 years ago
Way cool! I recently came across GST eggs myself as well as some larvae. A bit late in the season but the first I found this year...I was thrilled to find them when I wasn't even searching! Now the three larvae have begun to pupate and the eggs have all hatched. What a great feeling.
Mary Leek
12 years ago
Yikes, what happens to the GST butterflies who eclose in late October in my zone 7b? I brought in a just hatched baby GST two days ago. I've not found any more but this baby and another four days old, will not be ready to be released until early November. Will they fly south seeking a warmer climate? It seems so late here for them. I have 8 GST chrysalides that should eclose abt 3rd week of Oct. I even worry about those little guys. This is my first year hand rearing the GST.

Mary
fighting8r
Original Author
12 years ago
Mary: sometimes they do not even eclose in October here in South Florida, so I'm thinking they should not eclose till spring for you? They are very unpredictable though in my experience, as to when they choose to eclose.

Tomatoworm: No I have none of those plants. Although I keep telling myself its time to try and start some tomatoes.

MissSherry: I'll tell 'em to head your way. Seems to be pretty typical for us (I guess this is the third year we've raised them) to not see much of them in the dead of summer then they show up with the fall. I even noticed one a couple of weeks ago and remarked to a neighbor that maybe that was a sign of fall. We've had some glorious days this week too! Still well into the 80s but low to mid 60s at night which is cold for us!
caterwallin
12 years ago
Lucky you! The last of mine just pupated, so I imagine that I'll have these guys and guys staying the winter nestled in their pupas. I'll put them over in our tool building where it will be nice and cold for them. I love when they come out the next spring. I'm glad now that I brought them in to raise. I wasn't going to because of having trouble with them in the past but this year they did fine. I have 26 altogether. Good luck with yours. I really like that kind of butterfly. Of course, there's none that I hate. :)
Cathy
fighting8r
Original Author
12 years ago
Cathy I'm glad you are having success. They are wonderful arent they? We just had the first one eclose the other day that was the first in some time and reminded me how much I love them.
Mary Leek
12 years ago
Oh my, I didn't realize they might overwinter but that makes sense, otherwise, where do the ones in early spring come from. :-) Should I put their rearing cage outside now so they can recognize by the changing temps that they should wait? I'm rearing them in the house. I also have the two tiny ones that are still feeding.

Mary
caterwallin
12 years ago
fighting8r, Yes, the Giant Swallowtails definitely are wonderful and so enjoyable to raise. Congratulations on your first eclosure in awhile!

Mary, Some might come out this year yet, but I suspect that most of mine will overwinter. I honestly don't know if it would matter or not if you keep them inside or outside, but I keep mine outside from about this time of the year until they come out next year for the reason that you mentioned, so they sense the changing temps and don't come out too early when they shouldn't. Maybe they'd be okay this year yet, but I'd really rather that they wait until next year to eclose if possible. I'd probably raise those two tiny ones inside though until they pupate and then also put them outside. If they're inside in the warm, I think that speeds their growing process...unless you really want them to join you for Christmas. ;-)
Cathy
weed30 St. Louis
12 years ago
I had my first GST this year - they are gorgeous! I tried to take a photo, but he was so ready to get OUT of the enclosure that I was only able to get a shot of the top side. I have 3 more chrysalids - not sure if they will eclose soon or wait until spring.

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?what to do with this little guy?

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