Iris: That's the first thing I thought of, but it would be more likely the grower than the nursery (in this case). However, all the herbs -- fennel and dill alike -- are all crammed in together, willy nilly. I brought home a dill plant that had a 1/2" caterpillar flourishing. As I type, it's happily munching away. This leads me to believe the plants aren't treated, as the herbs come from the same grower.

These caterpillars eat better than I do, gotta tell ya! Fresh herbs for now, and the hunt will be on for organic from the grocery store if I run out of fresh. :)

Only organic and from a nursery you know caters to butterfly people. Never buy from the big box stores. I have bought 'organic herbs' from Fresh Market and all the caterpillars died. Supermarkets and big box buy from growers and have no idea what the grower does.

I have a small nursery nearby who caters to us crazy folks who want butterfly plants. They grow them there. I never lost a caterpillar buying plants from them yet have lost many from large, commercial nurseries or big box stores like Home Depot or Lowes.

Jane

TY, jane__ny. I've read horror stories from other folks, too, who purchased an emergency pot of milkweed for their 4-5th instar cats, only to find them all dead the next day. I can't even imagine.

The two little guys seem to be doing fine now (moving, nibbling, growing...dropping poop-lets!). At least now I know what to expect in the early days with SWTs.

I'm going to get some dill seeds germinating, in anticipation for feeding the next wave. At least I'll be assured of the plant source. :)

The 1/2" cat I brought home earlier this week has almost tripled in size (yay! simply beautiful) and I'm snipping branches off the main plant several times daily.

I've been sharing progress pics with DS, who wondered if the new larva might not be of a different species. Sure enough, did a bit of Googling, and these might indeed by giant SWTs! I'd be so excited to raise both types, Eastern black and giant. This shot was taken earlier today, after another molt:

I didn’t think Giant Swallowtail caterpillars would eat fennel or dill. I did have them on Rue last year.

Hmmm...good point, Iris. :(

REALLY excited to report my early a.m. discoveries on my newly purchased Morro Blood orange tree -- two giant SWT eggs, I'm fairly certain! They're larger and more golden brown than the Eastern black SWT eggs I've got indoors:

And a bonus: the quintessential 'looks like a bird dropping' larva! (I noticed nibble holes in the leaves and went on a hunt -- mission accomplished.)

The anoles are lurking close by already, so I hope these little ones survive.

Black SWT larva -- 48 hours since last post:

That’s adorable! Hope your Giants will be ok, too.

We're getting a kick out of the black SWTs -- the various phases of their transformation between instars is rather amazing. It's really something to think that little prickly black/brown/orange/white creature will end up a green plump almost-adult. :)

I'd like to try my hand at raising one or two giants inside, and could feed them rue (I'm not ready to sacrifice the orange tree leaves quite yet). The Giant larvae may already be too accustomed to orange leaf to accommodate a move over to rue; but we're leaving town in four weeks, and these guys are much farther along than the two eggs, obviously. Of course, I know I could bring the eggs in and feed those cats rue from the beginning.