I’ve been caring for two Swallowtail caterpillars for almost a week now. They had been eating so much over the last few days that I had to buy more parsley at the supermarket; there is none left in our potted herb garden. Actually, one of them (#2) seemed to be doing most of the eating and had started wandering upwards, probably looking for a place to settle. The other smaller one (#1) had become more or less sedentary (my mum and I had a good laugh over that, as they are hardly energetic).
Yesterday afternoon I set up some new branches, hanging some from the lid of the container and others propped up more vertically. After a couple of hours I came by to check on them, and #1 had chosen a branch and was stringing itself up.
It is now hanging in a little harness made of silk. This is the pre-pupae stage, and apparently it should shed its skin in a couple of days.
Read about this stage HERE
Fascinating, Cait! I love seeing this and you're very clever to create the right environment for them. Look forward to photos of the next stage. xo – g
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