(no subject)
Damn, damn, DAMN. Also, deep sadness.
I’ve been watching an anise swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio zelicaon) for several weeks now, ever since it appeared in the back yard, on one of the wild fennel plants on the iceplant slope. (I started scattering seeds a few years ago, and now have plants as tall as seven feet.) Over the years I’ve seen very young ones. They managed to survive and grow to 0.2-1.5 cm (about .08-0.6”) in length, but after that they all disappeared. This was the first one to have made it to the last stage - about 5 cm (2”) - and turn into a chrysalis.
I was concerned that after a couple of weeks, the chrysalis still hadn’t turned to a butterfly (as monarchs do in about that time) despite the warm weather. But with some research, I learned that swallowtail pupae often go into what’s called “diapause,” and don’t emerge until next spring, if not longer. (It’s a kind of hibernation.) During that time, I saw a wonderful thing: an adult swallowtail, flitting around the plants. It stopped to drink from the yellow flowers. It didn’t stay around long enough for pictures, though.
So I watched and waited and hoped that eventually I’d see the first beautiful swallowtail in years, praying that nothing would go wrong. It gradually began to look dryer and turned brown, which isn’t uncommon.
I dashed out every morning, usually in pajamas and slippers, to check on it. My camera stayed by the door. I really wanted not to miss the emergence and to get pictures.
But it wasn’t to be. Yesterday I was greeted by a horrible sight: an empty shell. The butterfly comes out through one end, so that wasn’t what had happened. Something had popped it open and removed the developing chrysalis like a peanut. Now the remains were covered with happy ants. I wasn’t happy at all.
Alas. Maybe next year. And maybe I’ll take it inside this time.
Links you might find interesting:
Anise Swallowtail Life Cycle with photos.
Photos of Anise Swallowtail emerging from chrysalis.
I’ve been watching an anise swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio zelicaon) for several weeks now, ever since it appeared in the back yard, on one of the wild fennel plants on the iceplant slope. (I started scattering seeds a few years ago, and now have plants as tall as seven feet.) Over the years I’ve seen very young ones. They managed to survive and grow to 0.2-1.5 cm (about .08-0.6”) in length, but after that they all disappeared. This was the first one to have made it to the last stage - about 5 cm (2”) - and turn into a chrysalis.
I was concerned that after a couple of weeks, the chrysalis still hadn’t turned to a butterfly (as monarchs do in about that time) despite the warm weather. But with some research, I learned that swallowtail pupae often go into what’s called “diapause,” and don’t emerge until next spring, if not longer. (It’s a kind of hibernation.) During that time, I saw a wonderful thing: an adult swallowtail, flitting around the plants. It stopped to drink from the yellow flowers. It didn’t stay around long enough for pictures, though.
So I watched and waited and hoped that eventually I’d see the first beautiful swallowtail in years, praying that nothing would go wrong. It gradually began to look dryer and turned brown, which isn’t uncommon.
I dashed out every morning, usually in pajamas and slippers, to check on it. My camera stayed by the door. I really wanted not to miss the emergence and to get pictures.
But it wasn’t to be. Yesterday I was greeted by a horrible sight: an empty shell. The butterfly comes out through one end, so that wasn’t what had happened. Something had popped it open and removed the developing chrysalis like a peanut. Now the remains were covered with happy ants. I wasn’t happy at all.
Alas. Maybe next year. And maybe I’ll take it inside this time.
Links you might find interesting:
Anise Swallowtail Life Cycle with photos.
Photos of Anise Swallowtail emerging from chrysalis.