Saturday, July 30, 2022

Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

      For several years we have raised butterflies indoors, generally of three species, Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), Giant Swallowtail (P. cresphontes) and Monarch (Danaus plexippus).
     We have done this for several reasons, first among them to educate ourselves and have the experience of watching this amazing metamorphosis from tiny egg to giant butterfly, with all its intermediate stages. A second, equally important reason (arguably even more important) has been to expose children to this wonder of nature and increase their knowledge of the other beautiful and interesting creatures with whom they share their lives. Thirdly, knowing that very few caterpillars survive to become a butterfly (some estimates are as low as one percent), it didn't seem unreasonable to give a few of them a helping hand, despite going against a fundamental commitment not to interfere with the process of nature. When we see caterpillars being paralyzed by wasps to be stashed as food for their larvae we find it hard not to rescue at least a couple of them. We are not unfeeling automatons and if we are guilty of a momentary anthropomorphic reaction we can live with the stain on our record!

16 July, 2002

     A total of six caterpillars were feeding on Common Rue (Ruta graveolens) from our garden, permitting us to watch their transition from one instar to the next.
     Miriam is remarkably conscientious about taking photographs, with the result that we have a far better record than we would have if it were left to me.
     Pupation has already occurred for this individual and you can see very clearly how the chrysalis is anchored by the silk "harness" produced by the caterpillar.


     Camouflage is an important consideration since the risk of predation is still present, and when attached to a green substrate the chrysalis is cryptically coloured.
     A second caterpillar had assumed the "lazy J" position and was just beginning to exude the silk necessary for it to complete the transition to a chrysalis.


     I am sure you will agree that these caterpillars are very handsome creatures.


     A couple of chrysalises were attached to a twig we had put into the cage, and you will note that they are accordingly camouflaged brown.


     The picture below is a very pleasing closeup enabling you to see the way the caterpillars navigate the stalks, gripping the stem with their feet to gain access to the leaves on which they feed.


     Radical chemical changes are occurring within the chrysalis; who could even guess that a butterfly with a wingspan up to 8.4 cm will emerge within mere days?


     But it will!

24 July, 2022

     It is astounding how quickly the butterflies wiggle free of the chrysalis (a process called eclosion, driven by hormones). You can check and find nothing is happening, only to look twenty minutes later to find a butterfly hanging there, drying out and inflating its wings.


     The now empty chrysalis is at the left of the butterfly.
     It does not take long for the butterfly to start to flex its wings and take exploratory walks around the cage.


     Many species of butterfly are sexually dimorphic and we know that this individual is a female by the frosty blue wash on the hindwings and the reduced amount of yellow on the forewings.


     One down and five to go. What a privilege it is to observe this wonder of nature. It's a thrill every time.   
     


David M. Gascoigne,
David M. Gascoigne,

I'm a life long birder. My interests are birds, nature, reading, books, outdoors, travel, food and wine.

64 comments:

  1. Wonderful photos! I used to do this every summer and fall with my children and they loved holding them on their hand and watching them fly away. Sweet memories.

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  2. How wonderful! Yes, the caterpillars need our help. Pupal stage is also vulnerable, I saw one killed by a spider.

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  3. This is so wonderful. I have been trying to buy Milkweed for the monarchs but none to be found here. I have ordered seeds and will grow it indoors until next spring/summer. A few years ago we went to the butterfly garden. We had a very good explanation of the demise of the Monarch. These are truly wonderful photos and a great thing you are doing.

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  4. Y tanto que es. Gracias por este milagro de la naturaleza amigo y por tu estupenda explicación. Preciosas las orujas y bellísima la mariposa. Hoy aprendí por qué es hembra y una mariposa.
    Buen fin de semana David.
    Un abrazo.

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  5. Hari OM
    As hobbies go, this has to be a winner! Having visited many butterfly sancturies, it never fails to amaze and fill with awe to witness the cycle close at hand. These images are just gorgeous... YAM xx

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    1. Feel free to visit the Gascoigne/Bauman Butterfly Sanctuary any time you wish! We will waive our usual hefty admission fee!

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  6. I'm with you on all three of those reasons, David. I feel that the third reason is especially valid in a garden where birds are being fed. One may suppose that if there is plenty of food for the birds supplied by humans, there will be less predation on the insect population. However, I believe that the opposite is true. Feeding the birds attracts many more birds to a garden than would otherwise be there, and these birds will also spend time in the garden looking for natural food, maybe while awaiting their turn on the feeders. It is my experience that these birds soon find where the caterpillars are and strip them from the foodplant in no time flat. This year I have been observing early instar caterpillars with a view to harvesting a few, but the birds have beaten me to it every time!

    This was a beautifully documented post featuring a most spectacular butterfly. Thank you.

    My appreciation and very best wishes to you and Miriam - - - Richard

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    1. Thanks, Richard. It is indeed a spectacular species.

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  7. Piękny motyl i gąsienice też😊

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  8. Absolutely fascinating. And very, very beautiful. Huge thanks to you both for the action and the documentary.

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  9. I must be wonderful to watch this, David. They are so beautiful. Miriam is a very good photographer.
    Hugs and kisses, Marit

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  10. Beautiful post and photos. Love the Black Swallowtail butterflies. Have a great day and happy new week!

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  11. I grow rue as well as a few other plants in my garden specifically for the butterflies. I enjoy watching the Black Swallowtails grow. In my opinion, the world always needs more butterflies.

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  12. Amazing.
    A lovely series of photographs.

    All the best Jan

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  13. Hi David,
    Thanks for sharing these amazing photos. I've visited some Butterfly house, but normally I only find the butterflies, I've never seen the caterpillars, how beautiful they are too, the 3rd and 5th photo are fantastic. The butterfly is wonderful.
    It really is a privilege to be able to observe this wonder of nature.
    Have a happy and joyful weekend

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  14. Amazing photos. The caterpillars are so fascinating and the butterflies are always a pleasure to see. Thanks for sharing, David.

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  15. ...it's wonderful to see its stages. I saw and photographed a tiger swallowtail today!

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  16. Me encantan las orugas. Yo sólo he criado gusanos de seda... pero lo que nos enseñan me ha dejado con ganas de criar ese tipo de orugas, ¿en España es posible?

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    1. Hello, Noa: I am not intimately familiar with European butterflies, but I can see no reason why you could not replicate this activity there. Papilio machaon, for example, is widespread and I would imagine would be easy to raise indoors as long as you have access to its host plant. Good luck with this if you decide to give it a try. Be sure to let us know how it works out. All the best - David

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  17. What fun! My daughter does this each year with monarchs.

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  18. Such a beautiful butterfly. I have never seen one in nature. Another species to watch for!

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    1. To be able to observe the whole life cycle is such a privilege, Marie.

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  19. Photogenic each step of the way.

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  20. What an interesting post. Those caterpillars are indeed very beautiful. I've been known to rescue an insect at times, even though they were intended as a meal for another. The last was of a small bumble bee caught in a spider web, the moment I passed by. Lucky bee.

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  21. You did this very well to show the children the miracle from caterpillar to butterfly.
    The pictures are really beautiful.
    Here in the Netherlands there are really very few butterflies this year.
    Greetings Irma

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  22. Preciosas las mariposas, es el insecto más bello que existe. Me ha gustado saber que cultivas ruda para alimentar mariposas y ha sido una maravilla poder ver todo el proceso desde la oruga hasta cuando está convertida en mariposa.
    Muchos besos.

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  23. Hi David.

    They have become beautiful butterflies.

    Greetings from Patricia.

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  24. When I lived in the city I had some well established butterfly weed for monarchs next to the house and I would find chrysalises hanging all over the side of the house and from the overhang over the door. It took a while for me to actually catch the transformation from catapillar to chrysalis but I finally did. It took about 15 minutes to make the change.

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  25. Gorgeous and simply beautiful!

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  26. Years and years ago, I knew a Science Teacher who did this and documented it so he could show his students. It is a wonderful process and the purpose, whatever it may be, is without a doubt a positive support for the butterfly. Your pictures are wonderful and your explanations are perfect ... I love coming to see you. I never know what I am going to see and I am never disappointed.

    Andrea @ From the Sol

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  27. They are amazing! We've an eastern comma in chrysallis.

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    1. Hi Jenn: I have observed the process in other species, but I don't recall Eastern Comma being one of them. Maybe you will get lucky and be present when the butterfly emerges.

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  28. Love the photos! It truly is a spectacular process. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. We have Monarch caterpillars munching away on Swamp Milkweed as we speak, Carol.

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  29. What a wonderful project, and undertaken for wholly legitimate reasons. I often write about the Brazoria Wildlife Refuge; one of their ongoing projects involves raising butterflies in their Discovery Center in order to allow visiting children (of all ages!) to witness the wonderful transformation. Volunteers keep an eye out for refuge caterpillars to bring back to the center, where they safely dine on the milkweeds that are raised for them, and eventually are released back into the wild.

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    1. We have set up an eleven-year old girl with Monarch caterpillars of her own and it won't be long now before they pupate. Not only has she learned a lot about Monarchs her enthusiasm for nature has soared to a whole new level.

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  30. I used to do this every spring in Canada. We gave them apples and oranges since we were told they they need something sweet.....it was magical to see them fly, and more magical to see them landing in our hands!....Abrazotes, Marcela

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    1. I hadn't realized that you lived in Canada, Marcela. Where did you live and for how long?

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  31. Amazing how nature is. Such beauty and wonderful photos.

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  32. Marvelous to watch this process and thank Miriam for the outstanding images.

    Best regards, Corrie

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  33. This is truly amazing and it reminds me of my school project many many years ago :-) Unfortunately, I didn't have butterflies at the end...

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  34. Nature is so wonderful!
    Love the incredible series of photos.

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  35. Preciosas secuencias del milagro de la naturaleza, amigo mío. Cuanto por aprender de ella y que mal la tratamos.
    Un gran abrazo querido amigo y profesor de tu siempre admirador y compadre Juan.

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  36. This is fascinating! Miriam's pictures are fantastic!

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  37. this is something I can only wish to see, but probably never will. It´s a wonder of beauty!

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  38. Es un proceso maravilloso, me encanta. Nunca lo hice con mariposas, si con mantis. Besos.

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  39. Hello David,
    it's great to see this! A small butterfly greenhouse at home.
    Thank you for this documentary.
    Here at the moment the caterpillars are hiding, the heat wave is back.
    Kisses

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  40. This is fascinating, David. Something I've certainly never experienced personally and brought to life by your descriptions and Miriam's beautiful photographs. What a joy to be able to experience this miracle of life from ground zero. (And thanks for the wasp protection!)

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  41. Witnessing this fascinating process so close must be thrilling indeed! Unfortunately I have never seen it from start to finish, but I'm excited when I discover a caterpillar in my garden, munching on my plants. This year I've noticed more Western Tiger Swallowtails and Pipevine Swallowtails visiting my flowers.

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  42. Fabulous post and fascinating to watch the whole life cycle and learn from it.
    I hope you are both well, Cheers from a very hot France, Diane

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  43. This is such a fascinating post David. I remember you mentioned you were doing this in a comment, and I am so glad you have some photos to share. I don't know if I've ever seen an actual chrysalis in nature. There's so many different caterpillars in the world, and they are very interesting. Just like butterflies. My yard is pollinator crazy right now between the bees and this year I have lots of butterflies too. I haven't ever remembered having quite so many. I hope you have a great rest of the week. hugs-Erika

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    1. To hear that a garden has an abundance of pollinators makes me very happy, Erika.

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  44. Hi David - how brilliant of you both to introduce us to your beautiful hatchings ... stunning photos too - this was great thank you ... and yes Miriam does take wonderful photos. Cheers Hilary

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    1. We will appoint you honorary grandmother, Hillary!

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  45. How amazing! It is a very fascinating process. I did this once with my younger daughter when she was a little girl. It was a heartwarming experience!

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