Betty,
Don't worry about moving the silly caterpillar that pupated so low. :) The butterfly will crawl UP in order to stretch and harden its wings. IF you want to move the stick to a different location, you can always do that, though. Your choice!

Know that many butterfly babies die in their 1st and 2nd instars. This is very common.

Keep in mind also that swallowtails tend to be more cannibalistic than some of the other species.

I've found, from my own experience, that by making a 'salad' of host plant foods, my larvae do better than when I feed only one specific food. I currently am raising Anise Swallowtails, which are similar to the Black Swallowtails here on the West Coast, and I also provide a 'salad' of Curled Parsley and Dill right now to begin with.

I've also found that by doing this, IF you find later on that you are short of a particular host plant, then your babies won't go on a hunger strike but are happy eating whatever you do provide because they've eaten it before!

It also SEEMS like the larvae were healthier on the 'salad' than on a single-host diet, but I don't know for sure...

Have fun!

tdogmom aka CalSherry

Thanks Sherry,

I have 27 BST that have hatched and three Chrysalis that formed last night and yesterday. Thanks for your help and your great website. Everyone on this forum gives me confidence that I can do this, and it is exciting. I was able to witness two Monarchs emerge yesterday morning and each time is like seeing it for the first time--what a miracle!

Betty

CalSherry - I wanna come to your house for salad!!!

Susan