Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
ltilton_gw

Swallowtail caterpillars on the carrots

ltilton
10 years ago

Going to go see if I can shift them over to the Q Anne's Lace.

Comments (13)

  • lucyfretwell
    10 years ago

    Are they common with you? I haven't seen one of them for over 50 years. (always liked them). If remember correctly the caterpillars used to crawl over the wild fennel.

    This post was edited by lucyfretwell on Sun, Sep 29, 13 at 15:01

  • ltilton
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I haven't seen them on the carrots before, but I recognized them right away. They like anything in that family - fennel, parsley, dill. The transfer seems to have gone well. They aren't so common or so numerous as to be a real threat to the crop, but I'd just as soon they were on another plant.

  • theforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
    10 years ago

    I see the caterpillars on my bronze fennel every year. I also saw a few on my lovage earlier this year. Unfortunately the yellow jackets always seem to get them.

    Rodney

  • ltilton
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    This time of year the yellow jackets aren't hunting caterpillars. Maybe an advantage to growing so late. I expect they'll winter over.

  • coffeehaus
    10 years ago

    Do you have many? A couple of black swallowtail caterpillars won't eat much. We always have them on dill, carrots and parsley, and just let them munch. They won't be there for long.

  • lucyfretwell
    10 years ago

    They look like the latest in inter city rail transportation!

    The caterpillars are just as good looking as the butterlies themselves.

  • ltilton
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I found about 8. I would have left them if I didn't have the Q A Lace nearby. Particularly as these carrots are pretty mature.

    But they were earlier instars than the ones in your photo and had already been doing some serious munching. So I figure they'll be just as happy where they are now. More cover for them, in fact, in case of predators.

  • njurbanfarmer
    10 years ago

    Had a few myself on my carrots but I let them be as I didnt see them doing any real damage to carrots, plus theyre beautiful looking!

  • tishtoshnm Zone 6/NM
    10 years ago

    Swallowtail caterpillars are very common around here. I definitely understood the very hungry caterpillar book when they completely took out my parsley plants one year. Now I just try to anticipate it by planting extra fennel and dill if I find them somewhere where I am hoping to get food. I think the birds end up getting them around here though.

  • theforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
    10 years ago

    Look what I found munching on my fennel. I have never seen a color variation like this. I know that the caterpillars are black when young but this guy is full grown.

    {{gwi:110741}}

    Rodney

  • coffeehaus
    10 years ago

    Beautiful, Rodney!
    I've never seen this variation.

  • terrene
    10 years ago

    I raise Black Swallowtails (as well as Monarchs, and other swallowtail species) and usually have a few black caterpillars each year.

    The Monarch caterpillars can have more or less black in their striping too. There is a theory that they are blacker in cooler weather - to absorb more solar heat.

  • jim_1 (Zone 5B)
    10 years ago

    This was a self-sown dill next to the house in late July.

    Jim

Sponsored
MAC Design + Build
Average rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars18 Reviews
Loudon County Full-Service Design/Build Firm & Kitchen Remodeler