Black Swallowtail Butterflies
Posted by: TammyThis past summer, we found some rather interesting caterpillars on our celery. Not one to just assume that every creature in my garden is bad, I found a site that helps you identify caterpillars based on various characteristics like stripes, texture, eye stalks and such. We discovered that our smooth, striped guest was the immature black swallowtail butterfly.
After a bit of research, we decided we could safely keep our two caterpillars in a half-gallon canning jar with a healthy supply of our homegrown celery and eventually, watch them change into butterflies. The boys loved the idea of having “pets” for the summer. 
So for about two weeks, we kept them in celery from the garden (celery and dill are their favorites as well as Queen Ann’s Lace). They grew quickly to be almost as big around as my ring finger and almost as long! Just before we left on vacation to Pennsylvania, they got very quiet and then found a spot to just stop moving (one on a stick and one on the side of the jar). They formed a little thread that anchored their bodies to their chosen spot and then began to get dull looking. The dull outer ‘shell’ eventually turned brown.
Not wanting to risk missing their transformation, Crunch and Munch (the names given them by my youngest) went in their jar to Pennsylvania with us. I knew that we could safely release them in PA if needed as it is well within the swallowtail’s normal range and there were also plenty of Queen Ann’s lace available for them.
As it was, they emerged the first and second day’s after we got back home. We knew it was going to happen and they emerged so quickly, we missed it both times. But the transformation was incredible! I still am amazed and humbled by how God transformed them! These were two pictures we took when we released them outside. Their wings take several hours to dry and stiffen enough for them to fly. During this time, the boys guarded them from any birds that might see them and think they could be a treat.
We said bitter sweet good-byes to Crunch and Munch when they flew off, thanking them for sharing this miraculous and awe-inspiring part of their lives with us. The boys still talk about how much they ate, how fast they grew and how they changed so dramatically from caterpillar to butterfly. Makes me think of how I look at my boys: how much they eat, how fast they grow and how they’re changing so quickly and dramatically into young men from the little babies and toddlers they once were.