Thanks Liz, that link is very helpful. I have overwintered a few black swallowtails before, so I know they at least overwinter here. I wish I had written down the dates I found the eggs and when they pupated. I know I have released monarchs in late August and early September before, but again I didn't record the dates. In the past I had just kept a running tally of each species raised that year, but now I know I should probably jot down some of the dates for the earliest and latest ones at least. My books are all very general about this considering the audience is the whole US or beyond. They will say something like flight period May-September and overwinters as a pupa. But there is no info as far as where a particular species will overwinter and survive. I'm thinking if I am at the very northernmost point on the map for a butterflies range that they will not overwinter here. Maybe they only come this far north to breed and then their offspring fly south again to overwinter?? I just thought maybe there was some resource with that info available. I would love to see what new species I can raise since I now have some decent sized wafer ash, wild black cherry, and false nettles started. So far I have done monarchs, black swallowtails, american ladies, clouded sulphurs, and hummingbird moths. The tigers are so abundant now I'm itching to get some eggs. A giant swallowtail would be like my holy grail!

Sometimes different is bad; sometimes different is just different. I have to keep reminding my wife and myself that the Lord has been making bluebirds for a long time in all sorts of different circumstances. He has a method and while it may not always conform to our wishes that all hatchlings live and thrive it still seems to be working. We know of 150-160 birds that have fledged from the house in our back yard and I just know this ain't the first time a dropped worm turned into a beetle and crawled on a bird there. It's just the first time we saw it. This is our first year out of 20 with a camera in the box and we have thought every day how helpless and doomed those five little things were. And yet after 14 days there are 5 not so helpless little singers that will be winging their ways aloft in a few days to look for their own bugs. We will have to deal with some deaths in future clutches but every day just shows us more and more how well the Lord equipped these things to make more bluebirds.

Lily, every one that enjoys any species of birds is lucky, too! I am very proud of my little PM colony though. I don't know where they're nesting, but I have a pair of catbirds that visit my nectar feeder every day. Yes; they have a sweet tooth hidden in that sharp little beak! I use an older style Opus nectar/"oriole" feeder. It has rubber plugs that function as bee guards. I took two of them off and was surprised at all the other birds that love sugar water when they can get too it. I've seen chickadees, house finches, purple finches, Hairy and Downey woodpeckers, and hummingbirds all using it, along with the expected orioles. Of course, I don't have a photo of the catbird on it, but this is the nectar feeder all the yard birds enjoy.

aristolochia7 - What zone are you in? I'm surprised you don't have any Giants. Iris S - Thanks. They are extremely lucky they are cute, because sometimes they are terrible brats! Daisy is a beagle, and Milo is a pug mix. Both have their mischevious moments.... It is killing me not to bring these eggs in, but as mentioned upthread, I had bad luck last year doing that. I do notice that she is only laying eggs on new growth. I'm wondering if the fact that last year's eggs were on old growth had something to do with them dying at first instar. I think I will cut the tree back next spring to encourage new growth.