Gulf frits are everywhere here!! I need to snap a pic because yesterday I found 15 chrysalides lined up on one of the pool cage bars, very funny looking. The polys have just returned in force, within the last week or two. Can see major reduction in pipevine foliage, which was already somewhat limited. Lots of orange barred sulphurs, and monarchs. Not many ZLWs lately, had a lot in the winter. Should say found a bunch of eggs and released a lot, but never see them around. Have two cats right now though which is nice. Had four eastern tiger swallowtail cats from a sweetbay, but two died, so now have two. My first time with these guys, hope the remaining two will make it. They certainly seem healthy. No eastern blacks here either, we think we saw a female a week or so ago, but no eggs. This weather is killing all the EB hosts (exept the rue, of which I wish I had more). Oh and a ton of GST cats in various stages/sizes right now. I still do not know the ID of all the passionvines. One day I'll post pics of all of them. The one I am pretty sure is careula, they never use it much either so from your post Mary it confirms that that one is in fact careula. Although when I bring in cuttings of it they happily eat it, just don't (usually) lay eggs there. Glad to hear they are teeming there too. Love those SBs, have never seen one here (outside of a butterfly house).

That's frustrating. I've got my hands full with my kids - the last thing I need to do is try to "raise" caterpillars. But it is so heartbreaking to see the teeny little cats on the vine, then later in the day not find a single one. Two of my new vines were gifts, and one had maybe fifteen already on it, varying in sizes - 12 hours later there were all gone, with signs of industrious antwork on the ground nearby. I sprinkled DE on the ground in a wide ring around the base of the vine/trellis. I know that would probably hurt the cats, but I figure this is the only near source of food, so if they left this one little vine, they'd be toast anyway. So maybe the DE will help a bit. ~ freshair

Hehehe! Tell some of your gulf frits to fly southeast, would you Laura? I'm raising three caterpillars now. This year has been SO weird, raising just a few at the time. Normally, the vines are covered with cats by this time, but not so this year. Great pictures! Sherry

I need to get more plants for the Gulf Frits and the Pipevine Swallowtails. I'll take this list from the FAQ section with me. All I have now is the Aristolochia fimbriata - white-veined Duchman's pipe for the Pipevine Swallowtails and the Passiflora lutea - yellow passionflower for the Gulf Frits. Neither has a chance to get large enough to support many cats. I had faster growing Passiflora caerulea - blue passionflower for a couple of years, but it died over the winter and I don't know why. PIPEVINE SWALLOWTAIL - Pipevine family, Aristolochia 1. Aristolochia macrophylla - big leaf pipevine 2. Aristolochia tomentosa - woolly pipevine 3. Aristolochia serpentaria - Virginia snakeroot 4. Aristolochia californica - California pipevine 5. Aristolochia fimbriata - white-veined Duchman's pipe GULF FRITILLARY - Passionvine family, passifloraceae 1. Passiflora incarnata - maypop 2. Passiflora suberosa - corky stemmed passionvine 3. Passiflora lutea - yellow passionflower 4. Passiflora alto - 'Amethyst'/'Lavender Lady'/'Star of Mikan' 5. Passiflora caerulea - blue passionflower