So happy for you! I keep looking . . .

Sandy

Jealous! I love Tigers. I'd love to raise some, but I don't think I have any host plants, unfortunately.

So awesome! Congrats! I hope to be able to raise them one day.

Congrats congrats!! I hope to raise some on my regenerating Tulip Tree:)

They're fun to raise! My favorite instar is the one where they're green with the cream colored saddle.

Well, I found a spicebush swallowtail egg on some sassafras that was broken open, like something had cracked it open and eaten what was inside. Worrying that might happen to the tiger egg and the intact spicebush egg outside, I brought them in on their host plants to raise. Then today, when I came back from shopping, I found another tiger egg on same cherry tree, right next to where I cut the other little branch off. But the one I saw today is the one in the picture, the one I brought in earlier is actually another one!

So, anyway, there are two, which is good, plus the spicebush egg. I'll raise them in the cage together, since I'm running out of cages. I've raised different species together, and it posed no problem.

I'll keep looking for more tiger eggs, though, since I've seen several females flying slowly through the property.

Sherry

No eggs yet, but a yard full of tigers today. I counted 3 females, 2 dark and one yellow, and numerous males. They were all nectaring on the Buttonbush which is now covered in blooms.

Sandy

It seems kind of silly but I keep finding good sized black cherries hiding in my yard. They grow up inside my lilacs and other assorted bushes. So, I need to start checking them for tigers and eggs.

Congrats on your finds!

Elisabeth

Both eggs hatched early this morning, they both ate their egg shells, and they're eating tiny little bits of their cherry leaf off and on, typical. Things are going well.

Sherry

Congrats on your little P. glaucus cats MissSherry. I would like to raise a few of these some time too, and have lots of Prunus of assorted sizes in the yard - both P. serotina and P. virginiana. I've observed female ESTs laying eggs on the black cherries on several occasions, but she is always about 20-30 feet up in the air - in the canopy of one of the larger trees! I should check the smaller trees more diligently. Someday I'll luck out...

Yes, terrene, I don't find many tiger eggs or cats to raise. I saw a black female laying an egg way up in a tall tulip poplar earlier this year, and I imagine that's where most are - WAY up there!

The cats are still eating good, so everything's going well.

Speaking of wild black cherry, four red-spotted purples have recently pupated in their cage, and the other ?15 or so cats are growing. There are eggs or hatchlings on just about every cherry tree, and those are just the ones at eye level. Bad butterfly season aside, it's turning out to be a banner year for red-spotted purples.

Sherry

The tiger cats have gotten beyond microscopic size and moved off their original leaves, thank goodness - they couldn't possibly be as good as a fresh leaf. I got a picture
of one of them. I noticed a little "X" in the middle of its forehead, which I've never noticed on a tiger cat before, but then I trimmed this picture down considerably -

{{gwi:493399}}

Sherry

One of the two little tiger cats has gone to the cute green instar with the cream colored saddle, and the other one was coming out of his old brown skin, about to reach the same stage -

{{gwi:493400}}

It takes tigers a while to go through their instars, not quick like gulf frits!

Sherry

Sherry,
The pics are amazing and the cats are so cute. I wouldn't know where to start looking for eggs or what to look for. They're already cats before I see them.

The two tiger cats have been growing, slowly but surely, and now the first one of them has turned brown. When tiger cats turn brown, you know pupation is about to happen. The other one looks close -

{{gwi:493401}}

Sherry

Nice progression pix, Sherry. I currently have 10 or so Black Swallowtails going in various instars.

Such a pretty shade of green!

Yes, sort of minty green, button20.

The brown one purged and is roaming.

Sherry

Awwww, I love those little "eyes." They actually look expressive!

They are sure cool. I am envious of you folks!

SCG

Very cool Tiger cats Sherry. Love love love!!!!

Both tigers emerged, one last week, one day before yesterday, both males! Fortunately, there are plenty of females out there for 'em!

Sherry

Awwww, no pictures? Congrats!

I've taken and posted so many pictures of tiger swallowtails I didn't see the point. Actually, I think I've seen both of them nectaring in my garden recently. They both were a dark shade of yellow (this does vary in males) with thick stripes (some are thinner) and very small blue dots at the base of their hindwings - some males have zero blue. If I had to guess, I'd say they came from a black mother, having strong coloring. I'll take a picture of one of them tomorrow and post it, if you like - I guess one more won't hurt!

Sherry

This male tiger showed in my garden today, and I believe he's one of the ones I recently released - he has the dark coloring and blue spots like my boys did. When tiger swallowtails nectar, they slowly spin around in circles - I got him 'in flight' -

{{gwi:493402}}

Sherry

How bright and beautiful he is! I don't know how you manage to get eggs or caterpillars for these guys. We have loads of tiger swallowtails here, but I think they are all laying eggs in the tops of 80 foot high tulip trees. :-)
Liz

It was so much fun to see the progression, Sherry! Wish you would look at my post from yesterday and tell me what the black/dark swallowtails are.

Liz, tiger swallowtails are the highest-flying of any butterfly here - I see them flying high up in the tulip and wild black cherry trees all the time. I'm sure that's where they lay the majority of their eggs, but every year I find a few at accessible levels, usually on wild black cherry, but sometimes on Ptelea trifoliata and once on sweetbay/Magnolia virginiana. I especially enjoy them every time I get them, undoubtedly because I don't raise many.
I need to search the woods for more of them!

Sherry