Look at this little critter!
He is eating our dill (what there is left of this particular planting) ~
but I don't mind sharing with him.
When I was small and saw these in my grandparents' garden
(eating their dill, of course),
I thought they were Monarch caterpillars ~ had "misremembered" them as such ~
then, when I learned that Monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed,
I wasn't sure what they were (because I distinctly remembered the dill)...
~
Just this past week I had discussed the caterpillars with my Facebook friend, Sue,
who definitely does her part in Monarch conservation, planting milkweed and
raising the larvae, saving them from predation until they can form their chrysalises.
(More on helping the Monarch butterfly here.)
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So, what is he?
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So, what is he?
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He is an Eastern Black Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar...
here is another article that I found fascinating,
on Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens site.
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He is an Eastern Black Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar...
here is another article that I found fascinating,
on Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens site.
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~
I know not everyone does, but I find all of God's little creatures absolutely
fascinating, not "creepy crawly"!
(With the exception of brown recluses, Satan's Spawn... ;) )
That's it!
I'm off to see what else I can find to photograph,
and maybe even get some painting in today, too!
Have a wonderful weekend!
(Linking with Beverly's Pink Saturday, today!)
~
I know not everyone does, but I find all of God's little creatures absolutely
fascinating, not "creepy crawly"!
(With the exception of brown recluses, Satan's Spawn... ;) )
That's it!
I'm off to see what else I can find to photograph,
and maybe even get some painting in today, too!
Have a wonderful weekend!
(Linking with Beverly's Pink Saturday, today!)
~
~
ADDENDUM!
Well, you are never too old to learn something new!
I was going back through my links, and read the one from Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens
more closely...then went back out to look at our dill ~ it seems that caterpillars don't just
get "bigger" after hatching, but instead have to molt as they grow (I knew this about some other
insects and spiders). Each time they molt, it's called an "instar", and they may change
their looks (their "outfits"!) with each instar, going through several molts before reaching
their maximum size... Here I have always considered myself a "buggy" person
but I don't recall ever hearing the term...
So, of course I took more photos!
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Three "instar" stages of Eastern Black Tiger Swallowtail caterpillars.
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Wow! Your photos are stunning. Please come share with us for "anything goes" Pink Saturday.♥
ReplyDeleteBeautiful..Love the colors..Enjoy your weekend..
ReplyDeleteI love butterflies too! Loved all your photos. They are beautiful. My daughter and I just raised 2 beautiful Monarch butterflies and released them and now we are waiting for an egg to hatch that we saw the mama Monarch lay right in front of us.
ReplyDeleteLove to see those caterpillars. I haven't seen too many butterflies this year. Thanks for all the information.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this post from start to finish!! I'm trying to do my part for "butterfly conservation" too, and am glad that it's starting to catch on! We see so few Monarch's and I'm always thrilled to even see one! I planted milkweed last year, and it's not done so well, but I'll keep trying.
ReplyDeleteso very lovely.
ReplyDeleteGreat photography Anne. I'm trying to do my part to attract the Monarch Butterflies and left a big patch for milkweeds in the back garden but I haven't seen any Monarch Butterflies this year. This is our second year of leaving some milkweeds for them.
ReplyDeleteHave a great Sunday.
Hugs,
JB
Great photography Anne. I'm trying to do my part to attract the Monarch Butterflies and left a big patch for milkweeds in the back garden but I haven't seen any Monarch Butterflies this year. This is our second year of leaving some milkweeds for them.
ReplyDeleteHave a great Sunday.
Hugs,
JB
Like you, I learn something everyday! I never knew this Anne, thank-you for the lesson! I'll have to go out and see if I can spot some of these, I always thought since they looked so much alike, they were Viceroy caterpillars! I look forward to more pictures!
ReplyDeleteAmazing, photos, Anne. I've not had many butterflies this year, and haven't seen any Monarchs. I need to remember to plant some milkweed.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your stellar photos and the interesting facts. I'll be back for the next edition. '-)
I enjoyed your post so much. It brought me back in time to when my daughter was five or six. We raised these in our home so we could study the changes. We were lucky enough to see them when they transformed into chrysalises - an amazing sight. We released them back into the dill field we found them in. I figured we helped them avoid being eaten by a bird or other creature.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are gorgeous. Thanks for such warm memories and beautiful photos to start my day.
Dear Anne-I am so glad you shared this information. I too have one of these little fellas on my dill too. Now I will watch him change into a lovely butterfly. As always I so enjoyed my visit. Hugs!
ReplyDelete