Rewilding My Lot

Converting a new developer lot into a nature ecosystem — my journey


Older Black Swallowtail Caterpillars

When I reported a month ago that I was seeing Black Swallowtail caterpillars on my dill plants, they were quite small and had a “saddle” pattern over their stripes. Here’s an example:

Now, a month later, I see several much chunkier caterpillars that are still the same species but with rather different coloring. These are very mature caterpillars that are almost ready to pupate, so it’s possible they’re the same ones that I saw before.

If you’re familiar with Monarch caterpillars, you’ll notice that they have similarly colored stripes to these Black Swallowtails. This page has an image showing the differences.



One response to “Older Black Swallowtail Caterpillars”

  1. […] invasive and because they support local wildlife. One example is the Dill (Anethum graveolens) that I had last year, and a couple of Common Rue (Ruta graveolens) shrubs that I have just added. Both of these herbs […]

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About Me

Nature Lover.
Inquisitive Observer.
Student Gardener.

I invite you to join me on my journey to convert my sterile (from a nature point of view) new house lot to a healthy and diverse ecosystem, as I make discoveries, mistakes, and hopefully progress. I am not an expert or professional. The project started in February 2023 and the location is Seguin, Texas, USA.