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Every year, for a long time, we have found caterpillers on our dill. And every year we raise them until they turn into butterflies. They are called black swallowtail butterflies. They often lay their eggs on Dill, parsley or carrot leaves. ( I took these pictures) You need to look very carefully for there eggs because they are very small. Try to find them as eggs or tiny caterpillars, because if you find them when they are full grown odds are that a hornet has laid eggs on it (meaning when the caterpiller comes out of its cocoon, a hornet will come out instead.) Hopefully you can see the egg. Its that little yellow speck.
(I took this picture) This is how small the caterpillars will be when they are a few days old. Some will be way smaller. If you cannot find any eggs try to find the caterpillars that are this size . The smaller they are the better chance they have of living. The reason why you want to find them when there small is because, when (and if) a hornet lays their eggs on the caterpillar, it means that when the caterpillars in the cocoon the baby hornet will eat the caterpiller, and you won't get a butter fly.
(I took this picture) When a caterpillar gets bigger it will be green with yellow. orange spots., and black strips. Its quite a funky caterpillar. Feed they whatever you found them on. we always find ours on dill so thats what we feed them. Put a stick in their jar so when its time for them to make there cocoons they can make them on that. They will shead their skin, and when its time for them to make their cocoon, they will hang from the stick by a few threads. it will probly take them a day or two to make it.
(i didn't take these pictures) Their cocoons will be green and yellow or sometimes brown. Both usally hatch, although sometimes the brown ones turn black and won't hatch. (sometimes they'll turn black and will hatch to though) Before they hatch their cocoon will turn black with red, yellow and blue dots. Thats because you can see them through their cocoons.
(I took this picture) When they do hatch, they will be all floppy. bring them outside in a sheltered place, away from wind. they'll sit their for a few hours until their strong enough to fly, them you can watch them fily away. They should hatch around late august to sometime in september, If you catch any good luck, and if you have any questions just ask me! This year we found twelve and at the moment we have 2 cocoons (pictured above) 2 eggs (pictured above) 5 medium sized caterpillers (pictured above) and 3 just hatched ones (too small to show!)
I didn't take this picture. I found it one the web. Once again if the pictures don't work go to my other blog (www.homeschoolblogger.com/tingrin ) |
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