Swallotail!

And now the really exciting news!  I found a swallowtail caterpillar on the parsley I planted by the pond!!!  I'm so excited, I keep checking on it.  It is tiny, black with white in the middle.  It "stuck its tongue" out at me yesterday, that orange gland they use as a defense.  I'll take photos.

Catch Up

Generation two is well on its way, but with many losses.  To date: 

• 6 chrysalis
• 6 caterpillars
• 3 new butterflies released

Sad news, every day I find a dead caterpillar!  Two died hanging in their J's.  Two chrysalis's died; one was not formed correctly.  I found a couple caterpillars on the bottom of the safehouse, and a couple right on the stem, seemingly in "mid bite."  Total: 7.  Reason: unknown.  Because so many have died, I am thinking its because the milkweed plant they were on got residue from the stain that was put on the pond's bridge.  I had thought the stain would wear off or wash off; it did not.  Ten days ago, I pulled out all of those milkweed plants.  I found 10 caterpillars on them, and put them in the safehouse; I have found dead caterpillars since.

I sometimes think it might be best to leave the caterpillars in the wild, and so have found a couple and have been watching them.  Today I checked on I've been watching for about a week.  It had grown quite large, but this afternoon when I went to check on it, I couldn't find it.  I saw black, crumpled skin and what looks suspiciously like a caterpillar head on a leaf....I think I do need to put the caterpillars in my safehouse when I find them.  While searching for my large caterpillar friend, I found 1 tiny one on the same plant and brought him in.

Speaking of this, I inspected the two big old plants by our pond and counted 3 on one plant, 4 on the other.  I may put them in the safehouse tomorrow.