No, it just means that you've got a few dark form caterpillars, which occur fairly often with black swallowtails. The butterflies that come from these dark form cats will be the same as the others, some males, some females.

Sherry

Good to know....THANKS!

I've raised Black Swallowtails for 3 years, usually a dozen or two each year, and this is the first year I've had the black form. They are quite striking looking!

I love it when I find a topic where I need answers to.

I also have caterpillars chomping on my parsley. Same type too. They vary in size from about a half inch to about 3 inches. My question is, isn't it late for these guys to be cats? Will they over winter in cacoons ? I also have a few black ones like the other poster does. If someone has a link to a good site, pass it along so I can teach my daughters about them. I don't want girls who are afraid of bugs.

I love it when I find a topic where I need answers to.

I also have caterpillars chomping on my parsley. Same type too. They vary in size from about a half inch to about 3 inches. My question is, isn't it late for these guys to be cats? Will they over winter in cacoons ? I also have a few black ones like the other poster does. If someone has a link to a good site, pass it along so I can teach my daughters about them. I don't want girls who are afraid of bugs.

Black Swallowtails (BSTs) do overwinter as a chrysalis. Don't bring them into your warm home, tho. They need the natural conditions and winter chill. They will then eclose in spring when nectar plants are available. If you want to see the process, you can put the caterpillars in an enclosure of some kind so they can pupate on sticks or the sides or the ceiling (lid) and just keep in outside on a porch or in an unheated garage.

Teaching your children is an excellent idea. I taught my 10-yr old GD from age 3 or 4 and she loves bugs now. My other GD is 2 and she is learning not to be afraid of roly-polys, flies (we sing the Shoofly song), etc. Next year she will learn more about caterpillars.

Susan

I made this picture of the two colorings of BST cats a few years ago -

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I think they're both very pretty!

Sherry