The spicebush swallowtail and pipevine swallowtail - named for their host plants - are less common but definitely worth the effort. The chrysalis is brown and is often mistaken for a part of a branch. When they are threatened, small glands emerge with a repellent chemical. Giant swallowtail caterpillars are masters of disguise - they look like bird poop. It's another plant you might have to hunt for in nurseries, but it is easily grown from seed. The state is cracking down on the transportation of citrus plants because of the citrus greening crisis.)Īnother possible host plant is the herb rue or ruta graveolens. If you have citrus trees, you might be visited by the giant swallowtail - an eye-catching black and yellow beauty that lays its eggs among the thorny branches of most citrus trees but is especially fond of wild lime, a tree more commonly found in South Florida. The Eastern black is the easiest to attract because its host plants are parsley, dill, fennel and members of the carrot family. Swallowtails are the largest butterfly in this region, about 4 inches wide. The Eastern black swallowtail is one of several swallowtails you might encounter in Northeast Florida. If they're eating parsley, dill or fennel, they'll likely turn into Eastern black swallowtail butterflies and fly away. OK, OK, in the interest of fairness, here is a monarch caterpillar.Īnd here is a gulf fritillary caterpillar on a passionflower:Īll photos courtesy of Wikipedia, except the passionflower, which is courtesy of the Santa Rosa County, Florida Extension Center.I f you discover caterpillars chowing down in your herb garden, resist the urge to squish them. Share and share alike is rule #1 of the wildlife garden, after all. It perhaps should be said that if your goal is to attract larvae by planting these plants…you have to be prepared for them to be eaten. Scarlet runner beans ( Phaseolus coccineus) feed gray hairstreak caterpillars, and Dutchman’s pipes ( Aristolochia) are the only food eaten by the appropriately named pipevine swallowtail.Īnd as if I need any more reasons to love asters ( Aster spp), they are the only food source for larvae of the aster checkerspot butterfly. All caterpillars in the Speyeria family, which includes the regal fritillary, feast only on plants in the Viola species (violets). Alfalfa butterfly caterpillars (also known as orange sulphur) subsist only on, well, alfalfa ( Medicago sativa).Įastern black swallowtail caterpillars feed on members of the carrot family, primarily Queen Anne’s Lace that grows in the wild, but also including carrots, parsley, dill, and fennel. Larvae of the gulf fritillary larvae (right) subsist exclusively on Passiflora species, known as passionflower or maypop. The only host plant for larvae of the the Zebra swallowtail (above) is the pawpaw ( Asimina triloba)– another great reason to plant this native fruit tree. I should be posting caterpillar photos, but really….who wants to see those.) (Author’s note: At this point let me acknowledge that it is a cheap ploy on my part to publish butterfly photos with this post. The best known example is the monarch butterfly caterpillar, which eats only the sap from Asclepias species, or milkweeds, including butterfly weed ( A. Many butterfly (and moth) caterpillars only eat specific plants. It’s important to plant flowers whose nectar attract butterflies, but don’t forget the larvae (caterpillars). I’ve been reading a bit lately about butterflies and how to attract them to your yard and garden.
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