7/24/07

Black Swallowtail Caterpillar

I have a few friends who are butterfly nuts. You're up, friends!...
What is this? I'm pretty sure it's a black swallowtail caterpillar. I have about a dozen all over the parsley. I've been trying to plant butterfly-attracting flowers and shrubs, so to me, a dozen of these guys is a success! But, will they destroy my parsley? Should I allow only a handful to remain? If so, what do I do with the rest of them? Does anyone (from South Florida) want any of these guys shipped to them? I wouldn't want to ship them to a region that they are not native to.
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Labels: at 7/24/2007 03:45:00 PM

3 comments:

  1. I'm a fan of the flutterby's. I say leave 'em and just get some parsley that you can keep for youself, maybe a net over it?
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  2. They are Black Swallowtails and by now, you probably see even more. You'll definitely have to plant a lot more parsley next year! I plant fennel (they also eat that) by the ton so I can bring in the little critters and watch them pupate. :)
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  3. Yes, they'll eat your parsley, dill, and fennel down to nothing if you have enough caterpillars. If you're into butterflies, you'll find yourself at plant stores buying more just to keep them fed until they make their chrysalis. Hint - Publix sells dill, but it's an awfully expensive way to get a butterfly! If you have too many caterpillars, I'd be happy to take some. They skipped my garden this year. I'm steph@mail.heuristron.net, and my site is http://butterflies.heuristron.net
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