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Eastern Black Swallowtail (caterpillar)

Papilo polyxenes

Description:

I clipped some flowers from my dill plant in the garden and put them in a vase, then several days later I found this caterpillar. The last picture shows another tiny one found on the same dill flowers. Are they different stages of the same kind? I'm assuming the big one is a kind of swallowtail butterfly. My most frequent swallowtail visitors are Eastern tiger swallowtails, and occasional spicebush and pipevine swallowtails. It occasionally displays its orange antennae-like things, but always retracts them when I'm near. It seems quite shy. The tiny one has since died, but the big one is still thriving on a steady diet of dill. I might try to raise it to a butterfly. Update: It has now pupated! Update 2: It hatched! It was a male! He was beautiful and healthy, last seen flying like a champion.

1 Species ID Suggestions

PucaK
PucaK 8 years ago
Eastern Black Swallowtail
Papilo polyxenes eastern black swallowtail


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2 Comments

maplemoth662
maplemoth662 6 years ago

A very beautiful caterpillar....

GraceWhite
GraceWhite 8 years ago

Thanks for the ID, PucaK.

GraceWhite
Spotted by
GraceWhite

North Carolina, USA

Spotted on Sep 27, 2015
Submitted on Sep 27, 2015

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