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Photo#127092
Striped caterpillar with yellow dots - Papilio polyxenes

Striped caterpillar with yellow dots - Papilio polyxenes
Belen, Valencia County, New Mexico, USA
July 14, 2007
Size: 2-3 inches
I get these caterpillars every year - they love to eat fennel and cilantro leaves. I thought they were swallowtail butterfly caterpillars, but I am not sure. Can you help?

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Striped caterpillar with yellow dots - Papilio polyxenes Striped caterpillar with yellow dots - Papilio polyxenes

Moved
Moved from Black Swallowtail.

Moved
Moved from Butterflies.

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes . They love the dill family.

 
Thanks so much! I figured it
Thanks so much! I figured it was a swallowtail because we have a lot of them around the house - will this one create a crysalis on the plant? You mentioned you had taken it in for rearing - can I do the same and what would I do? Thanks again.

 
Chrysalis and rearing
I suspect it will pupate somewhere on or near the food plant. There are some hints for rearing butterflies at http://www.rearing-butterflies.com/. As long as you continue to supply them with access to food they should do fine. I usually put them in a large jar with netting over the top. In a jar, you have to make sure it doesn't get to moist inside. An open rearing cage is better, and one with a growing larval food plant is best.

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