Oh how wonderful, Lee!
And I thought they couldn't survive unless we put them in cages and raised them ourselves! :)
Seriously, I found a full size giant swallowtail cat attached to the trunk of one of my wafer ash trees - I think it's getting ready to pupate. How could I have missed this big cat this long? The same way you missed your polydamas cats!
MissSherry

Thanks for the pictures for they are of my "mystery butterfly." Last year I saw a black butterfly with a greenish yellow band on the back wings only and no tails. He flitted very fast through the yard and I couldn't get a good look much less a picture. But wanting to solve the mystery of what it was I looked through every butterfly book and could not find one like it.

This year I saw it again and got a better look at the underside. When she laid four or five eggs on the pipevine I decided it was a Polydamus subspecies (if they can be called that) without the yellow on the front wings. One of my books said several variations had been described.

Unfortunately, the little cats didn't make it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Polydamus Swallowtail

I was sitting outside a few weeks ago when this huge butterfly (at first I thought it was a small bird) came flying towards me. I have since learned it was in fact a polydamas swallowtail. Last week, I found a caterpillar I had never seen before, turns out it is a polydamas, it pupated Wednesday, so I can't wait for it to emerge. I found some eggs on the pipevine, but they haven't hatched as yet. Does anyone know how long the eggs take to hatch?

Mechelle

Woohoo!!! Awesome Lee!!! Wonderfully awesome!!!

Am still waiting for takers on the pipevine I have growing in my yard...sigh...

~ Cat