Swallowtail Caterpillar
Oooooo guess who loves my dill and parsley this year? Well, probably every year but this summer I caught them :-)
The black swallowtail caterpillar, for instance, is often referred to as a "parsley caterpillar" because it frequently feeds on parsley, dill, fennel, and other plants in the Apiaceae family, including Queen Anne’s lace and carrot.
These caterpillars go through five larval instars, changing dramatically in appearance as they grow; early instars resemble bird droppings to avoid predation, while later stages develop green-and-black bands with yellow spots.
The life cycle of swallowtail caterpillars begins when a female lays a single, yellow, spherical egg on the underside of a host plant. The egg hatches in three to ten days, depending on temperature and plant availability. The caterpillar then feeds voraciously, molting several times as it grows. Mature caterpillars stop feeding and wander to find a safe place to pupate, often attaching themselves to a stem, rock, or other surface using silk. They form a chrysalis, which can be green, brown, or tan, and may resemble a dead leaf for camouflage. The pupal stage lasts about 10 to 20 days for non-overwintering generations, but can extend through winter if triggered by shorter daylight and cooler temperatures.
Sometimes, they inadvertently get brought into the house.
Here's an up-close video of a couple of these beauties before I helped them back outside to a fresh sprig of dill.
