Pipevine Swallowtail DSC_0648
Yay, the pipevine swallowtails as well as spicebush, giant and goldrims are starting to show up on a more frequent basis. Perhaps I will get the opportunity to raise some of these beauties soon. Gulf fritillaries and zebra longwings are also showing up more frequently and I actually was able to get several zebra longwing eggs and a couple of gulf fritillary eggs to put in protective custody.
Raising these and others happens to be very different than raising monarchs. Queens are similar to monarchs, they eat milkweed and they have a strong grip with their feet. They also have very sticky silk. So monarchs and queens do very well with the system I use for them. There are some images of the monarch / queen system in the raising monarchs album.
Each of the above mentioned swallowtails / butterflies that I raise have very different needs when it comes to protective custody. Over the few years that I have raised them, I have learned just what they need to thrive in protective custody. They can start out in the disposable trays but they must be moved prior to pupating. Most of them can not hold on to the lid like the monarchs and queens.
I do no have any plans to go into detail about how I raise the any of others like this pipevine swallowtail. Actually, the monarch series is only part of what goes into raising them.
Have a wonderful Wednesday and happy snapping.
Pipevine Swallowtail DSC_0648
Yay, the pipevine swallowtails as well as spicebush, giant and goldrims are starting to show up on a more frequent basis. Perhaps I will get the opportunity to raise some of these beauties soon. Gulf fritillaries and zebra longwings are also showing up more frequently and I actually was able to get several zebra longwing eggs and a couple of gulf fritillary eggs to put in protective custody.
Raising these and others happens to be very different than raising monarchs. Queens are similar to monarchs, they eat milkweed and they have a strong grip with their feet. They also have very sticky silk. So monarchs and queens do very well with the system I use for them. There are some images of the monarch / queen system in the raising monarchs album.
Each of the above mentioned swallowtails / butterflies that I raise have very different needs when it comes to protective custody. Over the few years that I have raised them, I have learned just what they need to thrive in protective custody. They can start out in the disposable trays but they must be moved prior to pupating. Most of them can not hold on to the lid like the monarchs and queens.
I do no have any plans to go into detail about how I raise the any of others like this pipevine swallowtail. Actually, the monarch series is only part of what goes into raising them.
Have a wonderful Wednesday and happy snapping.