looks like the ones i had on my citrus trees last year. i believe they are Giant Swallowtails. black and yellow colored.

Thank you!
He's still there today, I probably blinded the poor guy with the flash. lol..
A few more tiny ones too now.

If they seem to start to do too much damage, I will move them down to some sucker branches that are forming.

JoJo

Toss them away if you want your citrus alive! Those "poor little guys" can defeat a small tree in no time.

Cheers!

The butterflies lay their eggs on citrus leaves and the caterpillars feed on the leaves. Depending on the size of the tree they can do some major damage.

Hi Everyone!
I really appreciate the warnings, but i'm leaving it where it is, and if it gets too bad, i'll move it to a sucker branch.

JoJo

Now that is the Jojo I know:-)))

Have a great day all!

Mike

here's my post from winter, got a few pics

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/butterfly/msg111609422593.html

earlier this spring i saw a black/yellow swallowtail flying around the yard, when to check the pupas and they "hatched"

JoJo, I wonder how they'd taste in a stir-fry? ;-o

Josh

HoustonTexas,
Thank you so much for sharing those pictures! That is what I have. I poked at it to get the antenna up but it just wouldn't. Guess I didn't make it mad enough. lol..

Sadly though, it was gone yesterday. :-( We had some very strong winds, now I can't find it.

There does seem to be a few more eggs on some leaves though.

Hi Mike!
Can't help who I am. I love all the little critters that that garden brings. ;-)

Josh! :-0 Yuck! LOL!!!!!
I'm not that brave, but if you want to go ahead and report back. ;-)

JoJo

JoJo, I grow seedling lemons just so I can host those caterpillars!

Their disguise serves them well, as birds leave them well alone. Your picture really exemplifies how they will station themselves right in the middle of a leaf and sit quietly. They don't attract any attention from birds, frogs, lizards or anything else that way.

Those little 'horns' are called osmeterium, and are another defense mechanism. You can pet the caterpillars and they will raise up like they're going to attack you with them. You think the odor is citrus-y???? Ykkkkkk, not me!

After they reach a certain size, they'll amble off somewhere to pupate. Look for little brownish cocoon like things attached by threads almost anywhere. I've even found them several feet away on the siding of my house!

In this poopy caterpillar stage, their primary predators are the nest building wasps, like potters wasps or mud daubers. They take them away to stuff in their nests for their young to eat when they hatch.

Hi Rhizo!
Thank you so much for sharing! I may never be able to pronounce the name of the little 'horns', but it's cool to know what they are!

Well, I never said it smelled like good citrus! ROFL! It's more like the very bitter rind. ;-)

I would have never thought to plant seedlings for host plants! Gosh!! Thanks so much for suggesting that! I will get that started right away!

I always plant extra tomatos for the horn worm, and parsley for others, but never would have thought to plant extra citrus! :-)

Can the sucker branches be rooted to give me a head start? I need to remove them anyway.

I've never tried to root cuttings of trees' so I have no clue as to how or if a sucker branch can be done.

So much in our world is becoming extinct, we really need to do as much as we can to save the creatures we are running out.

They do have a great disguise. The first time I found one, I flicked it thinking it was dove poop! lol. That's when I found out about the little orange horns. ;-)

Do you know if they limit to just lemons or any citrus? I have oranges too.

I do hope that he's off somewhere turning into a butterfly and not someones breakfast.
I'll keep a watch out for the cocoon.

JoJo

Rhizo!

Might I say how refreshing it is to see you back and doing ok>?:-)
I must say too that the many a pest in their world should be grateful to you for showing us the difference between those that one should get rid of, and ones that deserve to be respected.

Also, seeing that the tornados ravaged the area about you and knowing that you are ok makes my heart rejoice.

Welcome back my well respected friend and teacher !

Jojo:

I am so glad you are like that. I too would do anything to see any kind of butterfly safe and flying around my yard. They are so rare here. I have had much worst damage done to my trees by a many a pest you can't even see, and yet if any little critter like that caused a major enough problem to any of mine, then I too would just move it.

Great info and thank you for this thread, and thank you Rhizo for the informative post.

Mike

Thanks, Mike! It 'almost' feels back to normal, sitting here at the computer and talking about caterpillars! Normal is something that a long ways away, I'm afraid.

JoJo, Giant Swallowtails will use many different plants within the same family (Rutaceae) as host plants. These include all citrus, common Rue, Prickly Ash, Hercules Club, and others. I had a neighbor back in SC who had limes, grapefruit, and oranges...all of which had a fair share of these caterpillars.

I've not tried to root citrus cuttings myself, so I can't speak to the ease of propagation that way. Commercially, they are grafted onto seedling stock.

I've attached a link of a photograph of the chrysalis.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:583586}}

Hi Mike and Rhizo!
I'm sorry I forgot to come back to this thread. Life got busy. :-)

Mike,
Thanks.. :-)
I love all the critters! I have wild Datura growing for the sphinx moth.. And I plant a few other plants to welcome nature of all kinds.
We have too.. Their habitats are being squeezed out!

Rhizo,
I took one of the sucker branches, about 6" long, and put it in a glass of water.. then kinda forgot about it. lol.. yesterday I pulled it out, and it seems to have a root now!

I'm excited and will take a few more off the tree and try and root them in a gritty type mix.

So next season I will have some host tree's. :-)

{{gwi:583595}}

{{gwi:583596}}

JoJo

Oeange Dog, larva of the swallowtail butterfly. If you like butterflies leave him alone. I leave them to make butterflies.

Jojo! I know you love critters.

That is why you are able to take such nice photos of some of teh nicest ones that I have seen, I wish I had. Great job!

Look at you rooting a cutting, a feat I have never been able to master. Superb and it is looking mighty healthy.
I can't wait to see its progress. Wonderful!

You are right about their habitat being squeezed out. I could't believe all the new construction going on down there just a year or two after my first visit. Sad, very sad. Unfortunately, it is way past the fixable stage here.
Now the dear and other critters have no where to roam except onto the highways and they barely ever make it to the other side alive:-(

Have a great day and keep smiling

Mike

Mike

Nice new root-spike, JoJo!

Now I want to try water-rooting some cuttings.
I have a friend with a cloning set-up, so I'll probably just pass them off to him.

Josh

An almost prehistoric looking creature, JoJo! I don't know that I'd be too happy to locate one of those little faces out in the gardens! ;-) In butterfly form, perhaps... but not so much as a caterpillar!

I'm kinda in recoil mode this year because we seem overloaded with larger spiders, some of the too large and hazardous for comfort size! I actually saw one today that had its entire egg population riding aboard its back, and momma spider was no small thing. Eww! I surprised her when I moved a foursome of flats containing perennials. She couldn't crawl away toward the outside world... nooo... she had to crawl inside the garage somewhere and disappear under a pile of potting mix and mulch bags! Yikes!

While I tolerate most crawling things outdoors, especially the praying mantises that do so much good, I have a very big aversion to spiders. I've not been a fan since childhood. :-) If only a select few weren't poisonous... I don't know how folks manage to live where things like scorpions and snakes abound. Yes... it's the one fear I still harbor.

That root is rather unusual looking, JoJo! It looks like a spike or thorn growing straight out of the cutting! I'm not sure I've ever seen one grow like that! :-)

Hi Everyone!

pecanman,
Thank you for the name! :-) Oh, I leave them alone and am working on host plants. :-) With just a little effort, people and critters can get along.

Hi Josh!
Go for it! ;-) I figured what do I have to lose with a sucker branch! Once I have it well figured out, I'm taking cuttings of my pink. :-)

A cloning set up, how cool!

Jodi! Hello!
Prehistoric, yes.. I guess you could say he does look that way. lol... The first one I ever found I thought it was a bird turd, so I tried to flick it off.. needless to say my surprise when it got mad! ROFL!

I'm not to fond of most big spiders, except the one I want for a pet. ;-)
I've seen the one you mentioned with the babies on it's back. It's creepy! Well.. sorry it went the wrong direction, but at least you know to keep an eye out for it. ;-)

Around here , most of us are careful and watch for them. Every summer the fire dpt. gets many calls to remove snakes.

I actually am fascinated by them all and go looking for them which drives hubby nuts! LOL!

Our summer is off to a strange start, and I haven't seen many of the critters I so look forward too. :-( It's a huge disappointment right now.

I've never seen a root like that either! So I hope the tree grows. I was surprised to see it so straight! I'm going to cut a few more today and try them in perlite/turface 50/50.

Thanks for stopping in guys!
JoJo

Hello gals/guys!

Jodik! I am thrilled to see you come here. By the way, spiders are not my thing either.....I just had one drop down onto my shoulder last night and it wasn't a pretty picture.lol

Jojo! Fantastic job at rooting that cutting. I have tried for years and never had success! Congrats dear friend. You never cease to wow me with your pictures and your success.

You know, I would do anything to see moths, butterflies,humming birds, frogs, bees, and other good critters roaming about my yard. The slugs have to do though. Yuk. At least our dear friend Jodik came me a head start.

You need to help me root a citrus cutting, please. I just can't believe it Jojo!

I am hoping that ignoring my Oro Blanco tree that I almost lost to root rot makes it. It was planted in the gritty mix when I first heard of it, and at that time, I never bothered to sift the fine ingredients out:-(

Please, keep us updated when you get as much time as you can. I love this thread.

By the way, my mother is telling me to send a hug to you and Jodik.

Hi Josh and the many others here!

Mike:-)