It was a huge surprise for me today. Since I usually raise milkweed and bushfooted buterflies, it will be a good way to start out this rearing year for me. I discovered one of the little critters on a tulip tree in the park and then we just kept finding dozens of them from 2nd to even 4th instar! They were incredible creatures the colors are so amazing, I can't wait to start raising them, tigers are not all so hardy in captivity so I am read for the challenge. Anyways, I just wanted to let you all know.
Questions,Comments,Critisim and Cocerns are all welcome 
-phibia5
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Two dozen tiger swallowtail caterpillars found
phibia5
Jun 23, 2004 06:29 PM
Replies (1)
Prairie_Dancer
Jun 25, 2004 05:28 PM
COOL!!! One of the first caterpillars I raised as a young child, was a tiger swallowtail! Actually, I did not have so much to do with rearing it, as it was in the 4th instar and was found on a sidewalk, no doubt, looking for a place to pupate. At the time, I thought the larva was incredibly huge. I just remember I was at a neighbor's house playing when my sisters and some other little kids started screaming about a big worm they saw. Well, I just had to see the big worm, and stopped someone from stomping on it! I told everyone it was a baby swallowtail, but I could not remember which one. I picked up the larva. I knew they did not sting, and brought it home, put it in a jar, and immediately grabbed the only ID book I had, the old Time-Life book called The Forests. There were 2 big color pages with several common caterpillar species and I pointed to the one with the big eyespots and told my mother I had one just like it in the kitchen.
She found leaves from 2 different trees in our yard, but the larva refused to eat. It crawled on a twig and the next day, it was a chrysalis! My mother was the patient one. The larva overwintered and the new butterfly finally emerged the following spring, even after we had moved a few blocks away to a new house. My mother was so good to take the jar with the pupa in it with us when we moved. The adult tiger swallowtail was just gorgeous, but instead of pinning it, I was told to let it go. I did.
I have not seen a tiger larva since, though I have found dozens of the more destructive dill worms in neighbors' gardens, rescued and reared them. Black swallowtails are also pretty, but tigers are more impressive.
