Well I am glad that you are restoring the habitat. I think that will go a long way. Giant swallowtails historically have incursions into more northern states that at times can set up populations for a period of time and then disappear (see http://www.butterfliesofmassachusetts.net/giant-swt.htm). It seems to be related to fall frosts. Adults can overwinter if the last instar has access to good quality plant material. The native host plants for GS are susceptible to early (Sept.) frosts. So, you can have populations of GS for a period of years and then have them disappear. The literature states that GS populations are on the increase because fall frost dates are getting later (http://images.peabody.yale.edu/lepsoc/jls/2010s/2011/2011-65-2-119.pdf). So, without conducting research on historical levels in your area and looking at survey data collected recently, you cannot say they are disappearing. GS's are like many southern range butterflies that migrate or emigrate and expand their range. They are powerful flyers and re-establish local colonies in good years. I don't think you need to re-establish them. There are plenty of local populations within the state for them to emigrate to where you are. In addition, if the local habitat is not suitable, your introduced butterflies will not stay put and potentially cause problems elsewhere. Butterflies like the Karner Blue are highly localized butterflies that do not emigrate large distances. Therefore, they need help in re-establishment. But even in those circumstances, they require a lot of study and understanding. If you talked to them at the Toledo Zoo, they may have mentioned the genetic studies looking at local genes and the role they play in food plant selection by adults. In other words, butterflies may adapt to local plant populations. I remember when I visited them they were studying if the lupin in Michigan was significantly different from Ohio's and its effect on plant selection on adults. Is this what you were looking at with the local genotypes of Lupin? There is a good paper that discusses the need to look at genetics for conservation efforts (http://www.genemetrix.net/pdf/identifying.pdf). On this board we find that southern versions of species often use different plants than their northern cousins. This may be the case with GS as well. In addition, re-introduction programs are done with great care not to introduce parasitoids and disease. Purchasing butterflies from breeders does not match the type of controls scientists put in place to prevent this. Then there is the carrying capacity of the habitat. You have to study the carrying capacity of the habitat before determining if re-introduction is even feasible. If it can't support a sustainable population, then there is no point of re-introduction. Has your group done any type of studies looking at the ability of the local habitat to support GS's? I suspect that if it could support GS's it would. Therefore, again, I will state that this butterfly is not endangered or threatened in the state of Ohio. If it is not present locally, it may be because as you state, the habitat has disappeared. If you focus on establishing the habitat, they will return without you re-introducing them. Good luck, Elisabeth

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

I thank you, ladies, for your good wishes. Sherry, I have four more tiny Giant Swallowtail cats I'm raising inside and there is a large one on the Rue I've not yet attempted to remove and bring inside. I discovered him two nights ago when I was harvesting fresh Rue for the little cats I have inside. Each time I've checked on him, he looks like he's not moved at all so thought I'd wait until he begins eating again before I bother him. I can't believe I've missed him this long, as I check the Rue very carefully each day. At least the wasps have missed him, too. Sandy, I agree with you and Sherry, I will be so relieved to see the end of this summer heat. We have had some rain the past two days and it's been wonderful. I hope you get some, too. The little wild red ring is still green and has all of it's leaves. My red ring baby that bloomed this spring recently lost all of it's leaves and then the stalk slowly turned brown and died. I don't know if the roots survived but surely hope so. Three other babies dried up and disappeared, too, even with me watering them regularly. I finally set a lawn chair over them to help shade the remainder that still had leaves and they're all still green. I am hoping, since they're a wild plant, that the roots somehow survive and we'll see new growth next spring. My Rue gets quite a bit of sun and I deep water it at least every other day. I might also try to grow some in a big pot on the deck next season, where it would have limited direct sun, then dappled most of the day, just to see how it would do up there. The parsley does well on the deck and it makes it easy to watch for eggs. I think Rue is a pretty plant, rather lacy looking to me, with it's light green scalloped leaves. I've got new Rue seedlings I just transplanted into holding pots and I've just planted more seed that I'll overwinter in the greenhouse. I feel the Rue does much better in our heat than the parsley. ~Mary

I was very surprised this morning to find 1 Black Swallowtail had emerged from the 2nd group. It had been in the chrysalis for 28 days. It is the 1st of this 2nd group to emerge. There is a combined total of 30 chrysalides for both groups still left to eclose. I'm just wondering if I have done something to make them stay in the chrysalis for so long in the middle of a Florida summer??? Anna Ventral view Dorsal view