Wow, this didn't hang very long. I'll bump it up for you. Hopefully Kat will see it or someone that knows.

Thanks Wanda!

You can try to move them. I would try one at a time to see if they take to it. Giant Swallowtails are slow eaters so it may not seem like they are interested in the new food. I am not familiar with it but I assume it is a citrus tree? If you can find Wild Lime, mine prefer it over our Honey Tangerine or the Rue, which is also a host plant. I would not wait too long though. If they are like EAstern Blacks, once they get to really eating, they won't switch easily and will make their way back to the preferred food.

Thanks. It is a citrus, one that grows true from seed (not grafted) so I have a veritable jungle of it over there. But now I can't seem to find the caterpillars. grrr. Do they go hide in the grass when it's hot? They're clearly munching.

Depending on the size, they can be difficult to find. For the most part until they are ready to pupate, they do move move much. I usually bring mine in and keep them in an enclosure. Easier to keep track of. Look on the newest growth and for munched on leaves. You probably figured that out. The chrysalis looks just like the branch of my Wild Lime so its very hard to see.

Sometimes they are hard to find, especially because they are usually so sedentary. And lizards love to eat them, unfortunately. Sometimes if I wish to move one, I take the leaf they are on, and clip it to the new plant, so that they can move over when they are ready, and you don't have to move them or force them over.
Hope you find them.
kelly

thanks. I fear the lizards may have gotten them. Despite my cats' best efforts - we have a lot of lizards. And the grapefruit is so small (one of the reasons I'd rather they didn't eat it) that I'm pretty sure they're gone. Dang! I was looking forward to them.
I still haven't identified this butterfly, she looks like a negative of a tiger swallowtail - yellow and black, with tiger stripes, not zebra stripes - but she's mostly black instead of mostly yellow.
ah well, I shouldn't complain. we have lots and lots of butterflies this year.

Giant Swallowtail, maybe?