If You Plant It...They Will Come

I have a nice little herb garden in my front yard.  Basil, cilantro, oregano, rosemary, parsley and dill.

Guess who LOVES dill and parsley?

Black Swallowtail butterflies...that's who!

 They came and laid little pearly eggs on my herbs.  Which then hatched into tiny caterpillars...too tiny for me to photograph well.  As you can see, the caterpillars have grown considerably.  We observed that they shed their skin when they grow.  Each growth stage is called an 'instar'.  Did you know that?


Being who we are, each of the cats got named.  Elvis Parsley, Dill Pickle, Green Bean and Knucklehead McSpazitron. (Don't ask)

 Mr. Green Bean has decided to become a pupa.  He just attached to a twig.  Soon he will become smooth and hard.

 Another shot of Elvis Parsley...

There are two caterpillars in each habitat.  They have twigs to climb and herbs to munch.  And me to clean out their incessant poop.


Yes, I think I will call this SCIENCE/ CLASS PETS.