Zebra Swallowtail butterfly
GARDEN DREAMS
I’m daydreaming about how my beautiful wildlife garden will look this year. I’ve spent the last few weeks looking through magazines and sorting my flower seeds in anticipation of the arrival of butterfly season. I’m so glad that I hand-raise butterflies. It has given me such joy through the years and a deep appreciation for their beautiful little lives.
Zebra Swallowtail butterfly chrysalis
Zebra Swallowtail butterfly
My butterflies and moths are in suspended animation at the moment, snuggled neatly in their compact chrysalis and cocoon pupae. This is how they spend the winter, a sort of hibernation, waiting for the warm days of spring to gently wake them from their slumber. I keep them in a screen-topped aquarium in an unheated garage for safe-keeping. In the wild they would be suspended from dead plant stems or tucked up under loose tree bark or hidden in log piles.
Black Swallowtail butterfly chrysalises
CREAM-FILLED SNACKS
As I watch the wrens and other little birds scouring the yard for tiny morsels to eat, I am reminded of the importance of moths and butterflies in the food web. All kinds of critters will eat a chrysalis or cocoon – mice, birds, squirrels, raccoons, insects, etc. But the caterpillar stage of these winged insects is an even more vital food source for our lovely song birds in the spring as they search for protein to feed their babies.
Black Swallowtail butterfly, female
Black Swallowtail butterfly
THE CYCLE OF LIFE
As partial as I am to my butterflies, I do leave many to fend for themselves in my garden. I know many will need to be sacrificed in order to sustain the lives of other creatures in my yard. Besides, if every single caterpillar lived to become an adult moth or butterfly their host plants would soon perish. On average, each butterfly lays 100 – 200 eggs. Only a few survive long enough to become butterflies, but that’s as it should be in order to maintain the balance.
Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly chrysalises
Pipevine Swallowtail
Pipevine Swallowtail
THE NEXT GENERATION
Since our winters are so unpredictable here in Kentucky, my brother and I do take extra care in the fall to save the last batch of butterfly and silk moth pupae. We put them into protective custody to help ensure that we will have a new generation to release into the garden in the spring. We spritz them with water occasionally throughout the winter months to ward off dehydration since they are not exposed to the snow. I guess you could say we are their self-appointed guardians.
So sleep little beauties a little while longer, while I too dream of Spring.
© 2013, Judy Burris. All rights reserved. This article is the property of BeautifulWildlifeGarden.com If you are reading this at another site, please report that to us
About Judy Burris
Thanks, Judy, for all you and Wayne have done to raise butterflies and to help us know more about their life cycles. The information you’ve generously shared through your beautiful photographs and books have been quite helpful to me in my own butterfly – moth journey. I look forward to seeing those sleeping beauties spread their wings and once again bring new life to our gardens and backyards.
Betty Hall recently posted..Icy backyard art
Thank you Betty
I have never seen a pipevine swallowtail before. That is a beautiful butterfly.
Hi Jeane, it took us about three years to encourage the pipevine butterflies to our gardens, but now we have hundreds every year
What gorgeous photos! I’m especially fond of that Zebra Swallowtail because we don’t get them up here in Philadelphia. I have a friend who lives in Cape May who has planted PawPaws in her garden because the Zebra Swallowtails have been spotted on several occasions in Delaware, and it’s just a short flight over the Delaware Bay to get to Cape May. None so far, but my friend remains ever hopeful!
Your butterflies are lucky to have such a dedicated guardian
Carole Sevilla Brown recently posted..The Traveling Birder
Thank you Carole! We do love our Zebra Swallowtails
A couple of years ago we had a lone male emerge in the summer, later than his siblings that emerged in the spring. He returned to my brother’s yard every day for 13 weeks flying around the paw paw tree looking for a mate. We didn’t know they could live so long. We knew it was the same one because he was “born” missing one of his long tails.
Beautiful! This past summer I was blessed with many swallowtails in my garden! I never seem to find the chrysalises. Maybe that’s better. I usually leave most of my garden standing during the winter. How wonderful for you to raise these angelic creatures. I really enjoyed seeing their chrysalises and hearing about how you overwinter them.
Kathy Sturr of the Violet Fern recently posted..What’s Growing: 2013 Plan Gone to Seed
Hi Kathy! Aren’t they wonderful?
Swallowtails are our favorites
We present workshops to teachers to encourage them to raise Swallowtails in their classrooms since they are so large and colorful.
Beautiful photos of the Swallowtails! You are so lucky to be sharing in their little lives. So special~
kathy recently posted..Living with the Monarchs in Winter~
Thank you Kathy
We love them <3
Stunning Judy…I wonder if my swallowtails are hibernating in cocoons in our cold winter…I have never seen their cocoons in the garden but I have seen the caterpillars.
Donna Donabella recently posted..Simply The Best Herbs-January
Hi Donna!
I would say that if your garden is feeding the caterpillars, you must have dormant butterflies sleeping in your garden right now. They are masters of disguise