The pipevine swallowtail, Battus philenor (L.), is one of our most beautiful swallowtails. I planted milkweed last year and got Monarchs. PIPEVINE SWALLOWTAIL The pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor) is a large black butterfly measuring 7–10 cm (2.75–4 in) from tip of wing to tip of wing.It is named after the pipevine plant (Aristolochia watsonii).This plant contains acids that are toxic to birds and other animals. Raising butterfly caterpillars indoors is easy. They don’t feed on the flowers of the Pipevines, however, because they are not a good anatomical match for feeding or pollination. Lessons Learned in my First Year Raising Eastern Black Swallowtails. This is a retractable fleshy organ behind the head that is extruded when the caterpillar is alarmed. We are sorry to hear about your lack of success raising the Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar. We've turned a vast portion of our one acre into native habitat for them and other fauna. The Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) flies across most of the U.S., with the exception of the Northwest. Swallowtails: Raising/Breeding Tips Nigel Venters . How long can it go without feeding? Upon closer inspection my hunch was correct. Pipevine swallowtails rely on plants in the genus Aristolochia as their host plants. There are tips, however, that can bring more success to your rearing success. Hi Tony, Thanks for being the only one to alert us of Pipevine Swallowtails … I don't think I have the energy to fuck around with raising my own insects right now, but I certainly have colleagues in my department who do things like that in their own spare time. There are perhaps as many as three generations per year in some areas of the country. Males have also been observed to take moisture and nutrients from mud, a behavior that is motivated by the presence of other males. 1992). It's so inspiring. The eggs hatch in ten days and the caterpillars grow in five stages. It generally is montane and grows near rivers and along hillsides. This month we bring you an insect that shares an intimate relationship with the woody vine, the unmistakable California pipevine swallowtail butterfly. I accidentally raised some cute caterpillars as a kid, one did pupate out of the lot, and emerged. Dawn 10/14/2020 - 6:50 pm. We fed them pipevine leaves from Jesse's garden, until they pupated, and then kept the chrysalids in a glass fish tank in our barn over winter. There are tons of resources if you want to do it wherever you live. Pipevine Swallowtails Today I found several clutches of Pipevine Swallowtail eggs deposited on various pipevines about my garden. It was a little disappointing to have not been around to see and count the eggs. If you're in the area, it's well worth your time to come check them out. Karen Fishman says. It's easy* and rewarding and despite the fact that someone always says "oh we did that in first grade" I find it never gets old or trite. "It's like a long hibernation," Wong explained. Females spend their time feeding, being courted by males, and reproducing. This video shares my Butterfly Garden, or rather I should say it's how to raise caterpillars to black swallowtail butterflies. Color of Pipevine Swallowtail: The color of these species ranges from black to bluish. I work at the SF Botanical Garden, where we now have a self-sustaining population of pipevine swallowtails in the California Native Garden thanks to Tim and all of his efforts. Caterpillars are often black or red, and feed on compatible plants of the genus Aristolochia. They are super helpful and their monthly meetings are fun and very informative. Its life cycle was beautifully illustrated during the 18th century by John Abbot (Smith 1797) (Figure 1). On purplish-black forms the bumps are either red or orange while on red forms the bumps are usually the same color as the body. Sometimes it even happens right in your own neighborhood. They are gorgeous. The Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) is black with a single row of pale spots near wing edges.This beautiful butterfly is sometimes called the "Blue Swallowtail".The male has iridescent blue hind wings, and the female a lighter blue coloring. Sadly, none of the caterpillars survived. You know. He's a real class act and it's great to see him getting the recognition he deserves. Even with the bright colors, osmeterium and potentially lethal body fluids something may have made a meal of these wonderful caterpillars! Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly (Battus philenor) Characteristics, Identifcation and Size. He is one of the coolest people I know, hands down- his house is a botanical wonderland with an insane collection of epiphytes and lithops, and an ever-more-elaborate butterfly setup which has become this awesome big deal. These butterflies can be identified by the back end of their wings that looks like a forked tail, reminiscent of swallow tails. I was of the opinion it was only found in relatively undisturbed areas in the hills a few miles from my home. The pipevine swallowtail butterfly, Battus philenor, is a relatively small black swallowtail with gorgeous, iridescent blue scaling.It measures approximately 7–10 cm (2.75–4 in) from tip of wing to tip of wing. We met at a bar ~5 years ago when he commented on a tillandsia I was using as a lapel pin and we've been friends ever since. The last caterpillar this season looked really small to make his chrysalis (probably half the size of the others), and this morning when I checked on him I found his chrysalis has formed vertically, like a monarch’s, but he isn’t upside down. I collect seed from my existing plants when the opportunity arises and throw them around my property. This is a walk that we  frequently take, but this particular summer morning Doogie saddled up to what was a new tree for him. I have heard of concrete slabs, bridges and overhangs in northern California where hundreds of chrysalids hang suspended. As the larvae feeds on the Pipevine it sequesters certain chemicals in the vine that makes it … But we've planted plenty of native plants and they still get choked out by weeds. 1. Perhaps I can actually test this in my own backyard and get answers. Also known as the blue swallowtail, the Aristolochia swallowtail, and by other names, it is widespread across the southeastern and central US in… Upon the slightest nudge or threat, the yellow tentacles pop out of their head and emit a distinctive, sickly sweet … It is supposed to provide the caterpillar protection from predators. Start Raising Monarch Butterflies Here ... Just be aware, if you want to support pipevine swallowtails, you should add other species that can support them. MetaFilter is a weblog that anyone can contribute a link or a comment to. They are found in many different habitats, but are most commonly found in forests. I've gotten really into planting native plants the last couple years. Fortunately, I found a mail order source for the Midwestern native Pipevine, A. tomentosa. A “monster” plant! In fact, I lived in a breeding area! It looks like my backyard detective work has only begun. Its … Pipevine Swallowtails June 05 to June 06 & June/July 2011 George Basset, who has been raising pipevine swallowtails for many years, gave us several of his young caterpillars in June 05. When we bought it, it was a sunbaked square of dirt, with a couple crepe myrtles and a dying oak tree. Another person responded to get some parsley or fennel from the store because “swallowtails love it.” No, I’m sorry but pipevine swallowtail caterpillars won’t eat any plant but a plant related to pipevine (Aristolochia). There wasn’t a trace! Simply Swallowtails is for responsible butterfly enthusiasts,focusing on education and conservation of Swallowtail butterflies in the wild, garden, and backyard habitats. The early stage caterpillars can also be found clustered together. One of the most amusing aspects of raising Swallowtails is their interesting tentacles. Attract the butterflies to your garden by growing plants they like to feed on, such as milkweed, purple coneflower, bee balm, butterfly weed, butterfly plant, zinnias and lantana. Between global warming and Bay Area rain, I think the eggs were laid too late and the rains came. It really was possible to have early stages of the Pipevine Swallowtail in my yard. (See a sightings map here.) They believe it mimics the Pipevine Swallowtail, a butterfly that is distasteful to birds. Pipevine Swallowtails had found me, but it wouldn’t be for long if I couldn’t consistently provide an ample supply of Pipevine foliage. A Photo Journey Raising Giant Swallowtails from Egg through Butterhood For five years straight, we were beyond excited to see the Giant Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio cresphontes) gracing our northern garden.. These plants can easily be found at your local garden center or nursery. It is brown or green with bright yellow markings. Some species use the pipevine swallowtail as a template for mimicry. As for me, I can’t wait for the Pipevine Swallowtails to begin their season. Raising Black Swallowtail Butterflies. There must have been a pipevine growing near the vicinity where the caterpillar was originally found, though it is possible it was weeded or removed by a person believing it to be unsightly or problematic is some way. in his off-hours he raised pipevine swallowtail butterflies in his back yard in San Francisco, a region where the species is much less common than it used to be, native lawns that are composed of native grasses, Manzanilla de la muerte, little apple of death. Good going, Doogie!! Enterprise . Others may wish to add this plant to their botanical repertoire. It releases a strong pungent odor that supposedly drives off potential enemies. Battus philenor is another California endemic (family Papilionidae, order Lepidoptera). This is an interesting species that occurs in your area and the larval hostplant Aristolochia durior is a beautiful garden plant. Overall, the early stages are like warning beacons. By the time we left we had Cardinals, Jays, Chickadees, Housefinch, Goldfinch, Wrens, Hawks, Owls, Tree Frogs, Toads, Garter Snakes, Solitary Bees, Wasps, squirels (damn squirels! There is another reason why Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars are found just sitting out in the open on the ground or on grasses or shrubs unprotected. 5 Steps for Overwintering Swallowtail Chrysalides 1. In the beginning the only "wildlife" in the yard were Grackles. The adult butterflies typically hatch in spring, and live up to five weeks given the proper climate, access to food, and protection from predators. This extended breeding season would seem to create a greater potential for getting caterpillars in my yard. Natural Range in Florida. The following article originally appeared in. If you've seen a Black Swallowtail in your yard, you'll probably want to find out how to have more of them. It generally is montane and grows near rivers and along hillsides. Pipevine Swallowtail was thus well known to Harris and Scudder as an irregular immigrant into Massachusetts. We fed them pipevine leaves from Jesse's garden, until they pupated, and then kept the chrysalids in a glass fish tank in our barn over winter. Many of their host pipevine plants have small leaves and are unable to provide enough food for even a single caterpillar. Hello All!! This was interesting to me for two reasons. I ordered six vines from the As they get older they become more solitary although one often finds small numbers of them close together. Turns out, they’re just fine forming their chrysalis anywhere: in the pop-up mesh raising cage, on cuttings containers, on their host plants, or even here: If that weren’t enough protection swallowtail caterpillars also possess an osmeterium. The star is of course milkweed for the monarchs, but there are a bunch of other native flowering plants favored by local butterflies and bees, and the patch swarms with interesting insects all summer. A twisted camphor vine in Kanawha County West Virginia. In my neighborhood Pipevine Swallowtails fly from February to November. It's anchored with a dwarf crabapple tree that's favored by birds in the winter seeking berries. Everything else either gets choked out early in the spring when the natives are the first things up, or drowns in May when it rains for six weeks, or dies a horrible death in late July when it's a billion degrees and dry dry dry and the natives are the only things that like it. good luck with your new vines! Hey, I know Tim! Gold Rim Swallowtail – Polydamas Swallowtail – Host plants. After finding the pipevine plant, the butterflies lay eggs in clusters of five to 30. Several weeks ago, someone posted about raising pipevine caterpillars and what to do if she ran out of pipevine leaves. I had walked this route easily a hundred times before. Scientists have determined that pipevine plants contain chemicals that when ingested by the caterpillars make them poisonous. There are some natural desert areas nearby but the understory is generally sparse since most of my neighbors prefer to “clean out” the desert leaving mostly just the trees. Fortunately, I found a mail order source for the Midwestern native Pipevine, A. tomentosa. Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar on Dutchman’s Pipevine Adult butterflies feed on a variety of plants for their nectar, and may also seek out minerals at puddles. A lovely male Monarch. A CBS news story on a biologist named Tim Wong set off a flurry of interest. We just moved and I left the yard a lush paradise with beds full of native plants, vegetable gardens, mature fruit trees and berry bushes, mature native trees, the oak tree recovered and stands of native sunflowers. Join 6,460 readers in helping fund MetaFilter. The males are mostly black with a lot of yellow while the females are mostly black with a lot of blue… USDA zones are based on … Pipevine Swallowtail. The eggs are red-orange and laid on the freshest tips of the plant. This is my second summer raising black swallowtails, and I’ve released probably about 60 butterflies so far. My husband said it looked like a set from the Muppets out there with so many little creatures flying around. The male and female Black Swallowtail butterflies are very different. White Veined Pipevine Aristolochia fimbriata Plant Type: Perennial vine zones 7-9, evergreen in zones that do not freeze, can be planted as an annual in other zones Hardiness Zones: 7-11 Plant Spacing: 24-36 inches Light Requirements: Part shade to full sun, best … They live on plants species belonging to the genus Aristolochia. The species had been described and named by Linnaeus as early as 1771 from a specimen in the Drury collection which is now probably lost, and was listed by Forster in 1771 (Miller and Brown 1981:60; Calhoun 2010). He raised pipevine swallowtails in a protective greenhouse in his backyard, where he grew Aristolochia.Later, he released the butterflies at the San Francisco Botanical Garden, where he first got the clippings of the vine. Plants in this genus are commonly called pipevines since flowers of some species resemble tobacco pipes. 5/1/2013, at 1235 hrs., Day-33 from when the eggs were laid. It is also known as the blue swallowtail (e.g., Howe 1988, Iftner et al. Do the eggs get attacked or are the colors enough to protect them? I have always wanted to do it again. They both host on Aristolochia plants. Enthusiasts are invited to collaborate by exchanging ideas and information regarding rearing, overwintering, host plants, habitat creation, health, and the care of swallowtails during each stage of the life cycle. The head end has two points and there are small plates down the back where before there had been bumps. It is mostly black with blue iridescence with red-orange spots near margin and hind wing base. Pollinated by flies. The Pipevine Swallowtail finds a safe place to pupate then turns into a chrysalis that looks like a cobra head. This was obviously the larva of a Black Swallowtail Butterfly. Still, this was a victory and I planned on taking their pictures in a couple of days after they had grown a little larger. By Yvi San. I love rearing caterpillars. The endemic California pipevine, with its fascinating flowers and fruit, was the Featured Creature of the month in April 2012. Also in females, the hind wings are darker as compared to males. When purchasing a plant for either species, it is best to buy the plant by its botanical name instead of by its common name. Flight: February to November. Black swallowtails remain caterpillars for 3 to 4 weeks. As we're all having to replace trees and whatnot, I went to a local tree farm, and talked to them about getting volume discounts for putting in native trees instead of the trees the builders put in 20 years ago, and then went around to all 23 houses and explained what I'd done, and how they could all get this pretty big discount by going native, and why native vs invasive would be better both ecologically, and from a future loss standpoint, since most of the native trees like red oak and pecans all survived, and none of the things like Bradford pears did. The chrysalids are attached to some object (usually a wall, tree or shrub) at the abdomen and the rest of the body is suspended, supported by a silk strand wrapped around the back and attached to the object on either side. It is commonly found in the Deep South, but during the summer you can find it in the Southwest, including parts of California, and from Kansas to New York. 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