Habitat for Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Habitat for Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Justin Roberts, Tyler Brown, Mason Montgomery, Peter Shin
Adam Thibodeaux Studio
Black swallowtail caterpillars secure themselves to a stem or branch using a single silk strand to initiate their pupal stage. This habitat is designed to mimic the angled surfaces of parsley stems, one of the black swallowtail’s preferred host plants.
Meet the Pollinator
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Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Learn more about the unique lifestyle of the black swallowtail. Voiced by Arthur Hanna.
TranscriptI’m a black swallowtail butterfly. Well, almost! I’m near the end of my 10–30 days as a caterpillar, which I spent eating parsley, dill, and other plants in the carrot family to get ready for metamorphosis.
I can release a nasty scent to scare away predators, but I still have to watch my back. Spiders, wasps, frogs… all sorts of creatures could try to eat me!
I’m looking for a space that will protect me when I’m a chrysalis. I will need a thin plant stem, or something similar that I can hang from. My favorite are the stems of parsley, dill, or the Golden Alexander flower, so something of that diameter would be perfect. Then I can finally become a butterfly, and get to work as a pollinator.
