Papilio polyxenes--Black Swallowtail Butterfly Part 1
Been some years since I've raised these, but it was a fantastic experience to do so! All photos are mine, most unedited, except for the one on the chicory plant because it was pretty dull lighting and I wanted to bring out the colour.
They caterpillars were munching away in my grandmother's raised herb garden, so I took them in and raised them. Then when they hatched I put them on various flowers in her garden. In college when I brought the last of the season's pupas with me, I put the ones that hatched on the wildflowers outside.
The caterpillars have five instars (some people say only three; I say they aren't paying enough attention). They start off looking like bird shit and with each moult they get stripier until they're green or white with black stripes that have yellow spots. Then eventually they choose a spot, take a massive shit, string themselves up, do a dance, shuck their skin and then harden.
The pupas are either green or brown depending on their environment. They aren't completely immobile. They will jerk about if something irritates them.
When the butterflies hatch it takes a little time for them to work up to flying. In that window, you can stage them and get your photos in before they take off.
The darker adults with the larger blue areas are female and the ones with the broader yellow stripes are the males. Most of mine ended up female. I personally think the females are prettier with their black and blue, but the males are still very attractive butterflies as well. See him face on the red geraniums. :)
Hand pictured is mine. lol
