The Pipevine Swallowtail
Insect art to promote insect growth and development.
The Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) is a common butterfly of the USA. Its life cycle starts with the female laying small batches of orange eggs on the underside of the leaves of a native host plant, the Dutchman's Pipevine, Aristolochia macrophylla. The caterpillars feed in small groups when young, but become solitary when older.The caterpillars as well as thebutterflies are unpalatable to predators and many other species of butterflies mimic their appearance. The caterpillar forms a chrysalis that is attached near but not often on its host plant. In order to safely overwinter, the caterpillar makes a silk thread (depicted here two times the actual size.) which wraps around the twig and harnesses itself for stability. Adults are common in the garden and can be found nectaring on honeysuckle (shown here) as well as phlox, teasel, azaleas, lantana, petunias, verbenas,lupines, and butterfly bush.
Artist: Mindy Lighthipe
I purchased my Dutchman's Pipevine Aristolochia macrophylla at Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve.
It has been growing in my front yard for 3 years and I am hoping that the vine is big enough this year to produce flowers. It makes a gorgeous natural shade screen and should be supported to grow upright.
I will have to look for the Dutchman's Pipevine to plant here on our farm. I have a lovely place near the potting shed that is can vine up on. I would love to encourage the Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies into my yard. I plant dill each year and end up with lots of black swallowtails (a wonderful mimic)
ReplyDeleteThe pipevine will grow right up the shed and make a beautiful screen of heart shaped leaves. It is really pretty and then when you find little orange clusters of eggs on the leaves you will know that you have Pipevine Swallowtails. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteRight now, I have my second batch of black swallowtale caterpillars on my two Dutchman's Pipe vines. There have to be at least twenty or thirty approaching maturity, a bit more than before this summer's earlier batch ate most of the leaves (which have come back nicely). I see the butterflies hanging around the yard (they love the white penta), but in far fewer numbers than the caterpillars. Mortality must be high. I wonder what percentage of the caterpillars make it through the cycle to become butterflies. Jack (South Florida)
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