Good news from the Swallowtail sanctuary
First BIG swallowtail caterpillars instars in final stage in the garden …whole bunch of smaller ones…. have tons of foodplants in the garden , fennel & rutha ….
We have many food plants for grown butterflies, so butterflies: please do stop by:)
People: Grow Rutha [Herb of Grace, Pigam, Wijnruit] plants in your garden or on your balcony….see what happens.
Update: 21.04
First caterpillar started cocooning process. I will describe about this amazing process is a next post.
First two swallowtail butterflies emerged and flew in February 2010
A little belated with the post: but a little while ago in this month during the unusual warm weather two swallow tail butterflies emerged and flew off succesfully. I hope sourthward….. in the meantime we are experiencing another cold and rain spell.
Here a picture of the second one, nicely sitting on my hand before leaving…
Update Dec. 1st 2009
From the Swallowtail Sanctuary:
On December 1st. 2009 there are around seven pupae and tree in pre-pupae stage in several places around the house. All sit in the voile pink netting in groupes of three and more. Three attached themselves to the side of the big terra cotta pot they were feeding in as caterpillars so eventually I will have to take that post inside. Three small caterpillars are still feeding on a new batch of Rutha. These three refused other foodplants. 
Three other caterpillars died, who knows if it is from the pecticides on the petrosil i had to buy for them… Weather is still extremely nice during the day and the nights are getting coller. I think I will keep all eventually on the screened front porch which will be cool but without a lot of wind.
World in a Net
I made my very first clip for You Tube today of the feeding Swallowtail caterpillars.
At this very moment some are wandering around the premises to find a good place to settle and cocoon. One actually sat down attached itself with the very thin silk rope and is weaving inside. I clearly can see the movement and at some point – probably tomorrow the back of its striped coat will burst open and like a Houdini it will wriggle out of the outer jacket. Left will be the pupae still attached to the same silk wire.
The color of the pupae will change from a bright light green the very first day, and will probably turn greyish. This winter I have to be sure to put the pupae in a room without heating, so not again we will have butterfies in February!
Update from the Swallowtail Sanctuary
Due to the extremely soft tempatures in the month October we had an additional batch of swallowtail butterflies which emerged from their pupae in my studio. The idea was they would make it through the winter as pupae, just like last year and will emerge in early spring. Well so much for my intervention, but nature will do as it pleases.
Now, near the end of November I have around 15 nearly full grown caterpillars which do not have the required amount of their usual feedplant available (Rutha). I kind of force feed them with Petrolil and Dille, those herbs they do not prefer but will eat if worse comes to worse, which is now.
They sit protected from the elements in a screened off terra cotta flowerpot and during the day it is warm enough for them to be active.
Some of the smaller caterpillars are plainly sulking but hopefully their will to survive will be stronger. This evening I will take the pot inside (after reading the weather forecast) and will see who wants to become a pupae and who not. The pupae will go in to a cool room otherwise the warmth of winter heating will make them come out in February.
By the way, the kibbutz is full of butterflies, mostly monarchs and atalantas, extremely late for the time of year.
