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Project Noah Nature School
Papilio polyxenes
My daughter found this one on a parsley leaf and called for me to come to see it! I thought she was kidding because she is just two!! My son saw it too and verified it from one of his nature books.. I will add photos again since we have it in a vessel and it seems to want to get a cocoon started! Hope to see the Butterfly emerge..
Resting on parsley in the vegetable garden
Spotted on Sep 4, 2011
Submitted on Sep 5, 2011
7 Comments
Were you able to see the butterflies emerging?
Thanks Peter.. missed the lacation.. BTW, got one more two days ago.. it was cold outside, about 50 overnight, but it seem to have survived.. It molted.. I missed it tough.. and now is eating up the parsley leaves.. The first one is still hanging upside down.. will update with photos..
Nicholas can you please update the location of where you saw this caterpillar. Right now the location information is missing. Many thanks.
I've just added the chrysalis stage photo!! Wow! It began at it's head and quickly moved thru it's entire body in about two hours! I left for work and my wife saw it and shot the last photo!! Just incredible!!
Thanks for the comments!! Yes I do have a lid... And I will post progress shots.
Wow! Hope you can post the photo when this caterpillar turns into a butterfly. Thanks!
Anise Swallowtail is a western species. Much more likely this is a Black Swallowtail - Papilio polyxenes- which is a similar species. A word of warning, these caterpillars like to go on walkabout before they pupate. If you don't have a lid on the container it is likely to find them pupating on a chair or table leg, or never find them pupating at all.