Swallowtail Larvae
Polydamas Swallowtail Caterpillar life stages. It's so cool to have this host plant. It contains a toxin that is harmful or distasteful to many animals but not to the pipevine swallowtail larvae! The caterpillar incorporates this toxin into its body to use as a defense against predators. What is even more fascinating is that the toxin remains throughout the entire life cycle of the butterfly.
Swallowtail Larvae
Polydamas Swallowtail Caterpillar life stages. It's so cool to have this host plant. It contains a toxin that is harmful or distasteful to many animals but not to the pipevine swallowtail larvae! The caterpillar incorporates this toxin into its body to use as a defense against predators. What is even more fascinating is that the toxin remains throughout the entire life cycle of the butterfly.