The Swallowtail Cycle

If you remember an earlier post about the Swallowtail cocoon and wondered about them...let's just say things did not go well for them. However, thanks to my sister Melanie's parsley, I am now able to show you the (almost) complete cycle of a swallowtail.

After the egg hatched, it grew in to this beautiful yellow, green and black caterpillar. He is eating his way through Melanie's parsley.

While one brother is still eating, the other has attached himself in order to begin his metamorphosis.

Another view

And about a week later, we have a BIRTH! I forgot to check to see if we have a girl or a boy.

Here's a close up and aren't the colors beautiful. To the left you can see the abandoned chrysalis. After her/his wings dried, she/he just flew away. So now I'll trim up the parsley and return it to Mel. I suggest if she wants to EAT the parsley she should move it into the screened porch...if not , better watch out for very small yellow eggs and/or little crawling things. Or...she good just consider getting her protein in the same bite as her vegies!