Actually, we don't have the butterfly as of yet technically, it's currently in the pupal stage and we're hoping it will eventually become a beautiful butterfly come Spring.
Emilie surprised us with finding this caterpillar back in August - a chip off the old block if I don't say so myself. She found it dinning on a Queen Anne's Lace plant, aka "Uncle Tommy", just off our driveway.
We didn't know too much about this little guy at the time, except that it was a Black Swallowtail caterpillar. We were under the impression that it was similar to the Monarch caterpillar in terms of it becoming a chrysalis and then hatching into a magnificent butterfly shortly there after. However, we've come to learn that this is not the case. The Eastern Black Swallowtail will overwinter in the pupal stage.
It didn't take long for it to change into a chrysalis. The pictures below show 3 different stages; 1-the caterpillar being a caterpillar, 2-the caterpillar beginning it's transformation into a chrysalis and 3-the actual finished product (chrysalis).
Since the chrysalis would typically spend the fall and winter outdoors in the harsh New England weather, we've moved it to the garage where we hope it will be fine until Spring when we'll move it upstairs and wait for the spectacle to occur, stay tuned...
Stage 1:
Stage 2:
Stage 3:
The Black Swallowtail, a.k.a., Parsnip Swallowtail, Eastern Black Swallowtail, and Parsley Worm, is one of the easiest butterflies to attract to your garden. The female will lay her eggs on virtually any member of the carrot family (Apiaceae), wild or cultivated, which includes favorites such as Parsley, Dill and Fennel (Foeniculum spp.), which they all feed on.
Both male and female Eastern Black Swallowtails are bluish-black with yellow spots on the wings. They also have two orange eyespots with black dots in the middle.
The male has a yellow band on the hind wings with a blue cloud under it. The female has a row of yellow dots above a blue band. It's easiest to remember that males have more yellow, and females have more blue.
This animal will overwinter in the chrysalis (pupal stage), meaning it won't hatch into an adult until Spring but may be seen flying as early as the end of April and as late as the end of October. The adult will drink nectar from many different flowers, including milkweeds, thistles, Red Clover, and Purple Coneflower.
The Eastern Black Swallowtails will search open spaces, such as meadows, gardens, banks of streams and ponds, marshes, and roadsides in search of nectar and mates. They usually flutter around, but when they are disturbed they fly straight.
This butterfly is a mimic, which means its pattern copies another animal. Its cousin, the Pipevine Swallowtail is poisonous to many predators. By copying the Pipevine Swallowtail, the Eastern Black Swallowtail gains protection from predators, even though it is not poisonous. This animal is most often eaten as a caterpillar.
Stage 3:
The Black Swallowtail, a.k.a., Parsnip Swallowtail, Eastern Black Swallowtail, and Parsley Worm, is one of the easiest butterflies to attract to your garden. The female will lay her eggs on virtually any member of the carrot family (Apiaceae), wild or cultivated, which includes favorites such as Parsley, Dill and Fennel (Foeniculum spp.), which they all feed on.
Both male and female Eastern Black Swallowtails are bluish-black with yellow spots on the wings. They also have two orange eyespots with black dots in the middle.
The male has a yellow band on the hind wings with a blue cloud under it. The female has a row of yellow dots above a blue band. It's easiest to remember that males have more yellow, and females have more blue.
This animal will overwinter in the chrysalis (pupal stage), meaning it won't hatch into an adult until Spring but may be seen flying as early as the end of April and as late as the end of October. The adult will drink nectar from many different flowers, including milkweeds, thistles, Red Clover, and Purple Coneflower.
The Eastern Black Swallowtails will search open spaces, such as meadows, gardens, banks of streams and ponds, marshes, and roadsides in search of nectar and mates. They usually flutter around, but when they are disturbed they fly straight.
This butterfly is a mimic, which means its pattern copies another animal. Its cousin, the Pipevine Swallowtail is poisonous to many predators. By copying the Pipevine Swallowtail, the Eastern Black Swallowtail gains protection from predators, even though it is not poisonous. This animal is most often eaten as a caterpillar.
Quiz - Read the definitions, then label the diagram below:
Definitions
- Abdomen - The abdomen is the segmented tail area of an insect that contains the heart, Malpighian tubules, reproductive organs, and most of the digestive system.
- Antenna - An antenna is a sensory appendage that is attached to the head of adult insects. Antennae are used for the sense of smell and balance. Butterflies have two antennae with clubs at the end.
- Compound Eye - Insect compound eyes are made up of many hexagonal lenses.
- Fore wing - The fore wings are the two upper wings.
- Head - The head is the part of the insect that contains the brain, two compound eyes, the proboscis, and the pharynx (the start of the digestive system). The two antennae are attached to the head.
- Hind wing - The hind wings are the two lower wings.
- Leg - All adult butterflies have six legs. The two forelegs of some butterfly species are tiny.
- Proboscis - Adult butterflies sip nectar and other liquids using a spiral, straw-like proboscis located on their head.
- Thorax - The thorax is the body section between the head and the abdomen. The legs and wings attach to the thorax.
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