Black swallowtails :-)

[femmocrat]

I found some of these guys eating my parsley and dill plants:



They will become these lovely creatures:

[CrispyQ]

1. They are both beautiful! --nt

[Curmudgeoness]

2. I hope they left a little bit of the herbs for you

but I have a feeling that they didn't. I always get excited when a butterfly appreciates one of my plants, even if they do decimate them.

[NCarolinawoman]

4. I feel the same way.

Sometimes I bring them inside and raise them, to protect them from predators (mostly birds). Course I love the birds as well-- just don't want them to eat my future butterflies until they at least have a chance.

[In_The_Wind]

3. I know you don't mind sharing your garden with such beautiful creatures.

[WCLinolVir]

5. My parsley is currently hosting five in various stages.

[femmocrat]

6. That is cool.

I only had the a couple of caterpillars that ate all the parsley and then disappeared. I looked around in the surrounding foliage for a chrysalis but didn't see anything. I hope the birds didn't get them. I enjoyed them while they were here, though, and the parsley grew back. I also found one in the dill weed.

[WCLinolVir]

7. Yes I had a large one who disappeared.

And another smaller one who is dead in the dirt so I am going to take a small fish tank and set them in it. I am surprised by how fast they grow. Just yesterday they were
half their size. I bought another parsley plant for them.
Luckily it's organic and on clearance at the grocery store. The butterflies love my compost pile which I am not very good about turning regularly. The raccoon has been eating my old squash. I'm just surprised I have not seen the opossum there. I did come across a black woolly, also known as a giant leopard moth caterpillar.

[alfie]

8. Beautiful...both the before and after pix

but I do sympathize about your herbs.

[ellenrr]

9. Both beautiful. I was surprised recently to find 5 caterpillars on my Rue....

altho glad to see them.
It seems very late for caterpillars, I expect them in the Spring.
?
(I'm in NJ)