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Dill as a host for anise swallowtails
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Posted by murray_2008 8/9 (My Page) on Thu, Jul 2, 09 at 2:09
| I bought some little fernleaf dill plants in 4 inch containers a couple of days ago to see how they work as host plants for the anise swallowtails and I set them down out back until I could decide where on earth they might fit in my "jungle'. Two days later I went out to look at them and try to plant them and they already had at least five eggs on them. I think next year I will plant a whole bed of them since they are less aggressive I am sure than the fennel I now grow. They only get about two feet tall though so at this rate I guess I might need a whole bunch of them. Murray |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Dill as a host for anise swallowtails
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| I hope you get lots of seed! I grow the mammoth dill - well, at this point, it grows itself, where ever it wants. It drops tons of seed. I love the smell of it! This is the first year I've grown fennel. I'm growing it on my deck in a pot. It's doing well, it's about 12" tall. It has a couple of cats on it. I also have some bronze fennel. No cats there yet, but I love the bronze stuff. (Got some seeds in a trade here!) Can't wait for seed of my own. |
RE: Dill as a host for anise swallowtails
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| a gopher did a number on my fennel this past winter - I tried to repeat the favor. I am seeing anise swallowtails now so I might give the dill a try. So many blooming everything with few customers. Hopefully that changes when the monarchs arrived. Penny |
RE: Dill as a host for anise swallowtails
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| All of the P. z. nitra I reared was on Lomatium dissectum. At the time I lived in the Rockies at a high enough elevation for this plant to grow in my home gardens. They were easy to grow from wild seed and grew quite large each year to provide plenty of material for lots of cats. All of my lep work over the years was based on studying them in their natural environments every place I traveled to for them. So when I reared them I mostly used cuttings of their wild natural LFP's as well. If possible I grew their natural plants in my garden at home, but unfortunately that was not possible for the lions share of the species I reared. Life is certainly easier for those of you who only do the species that visit your home gardens. I was (and still am) more interested in the big picture. BTW, I did have fennel and dill in my veggie garden back then... but they were for my consumption, not for the cats. LOL |
RE: Dill as a host for anise swallowtails
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| tee-hee! Larry, you crack me up! Murray, I found eggs on my dill as well. I haven't been out looking for eggs yet as I am just now starting my summer vacation/holiday. I've been so busy with all the packing and cleaning...I am no longer going to be teaching Kindergarten. I am moving up (if you want to call it that!) to middle school mathematics, once again. I decided to call it quits after my health scares this year. It wasn't the children, believe me. I did go out and look at the Passiflora (boy, this year, the flowers of the plants that 'made it' are SO fragrant!) and I've collected a number of Gulf Fritillary (A. vanillae) eggs today. I guess I should check the Rue and the Fennel. I know there's been a Giant Swallowtail around. |
RE: Dill as a host for anise swallowtails
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| Haven't seen any Gulf Frits in a long time now. I have seen several monarchs in the past couple of weeks though and lots of tigers and anise guys and gals. I have also seen some RAs this past week or so and loads of pipe vine swallowtails. In fact, I brought in a couple of batches of newly hatched eggs and just now tucked them in for the night. And I had to prune some of my fennel plants so I have a bunch of cats and fennel in my bathroom again. I hesitate these days to bring the guys in because I have such ups and downs in my energy levels with the so-called fibromyalgia thing and other pain issues and it is so draining to drag myself out of bed to a bunch of impatient cats that have run out of food again. But I force myself because I love having them around and have truly seen the local population increase during the time I have been doing this stuff. At least here at the house. But it is a lot of work when you don't feel well. But if you get overburdened with any of those gulf frit cats, Sherry, let me know because I would love to help. Larry, which species are you working with currently at home. I limit myself to the local folks because it sounds expensive and difficult to work beyond that. Murray |
RE: Dill as a host for anise swallowtails
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| Murray, Because of health issues I can't do the field work now, so I no longer rear any lepidoptera. I never put a price on my lepidopteran pursuits my entire life. Now that I can no longer do it, I can only relive those wonderful 45 years of discovery and seeing all the new places with my family through my SC and field journals. That makes it worth whatever it cost. Larry |
RE: Dill as a host for anise swallowtails
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| In some small measure I think I understand exactly what you mean. I am having one of those bad-back days right at the moment and cannot seem to find the courage to try to find a comfortable position somewhere and not move at all just to stop the pain for awhile. At the slightest tilting of my upper body to the left and to a slightly lesser degree to the right and the pain is beyond description. It literally feels as though I am going to divide at the lower back and be on the ground in two pieces. Now all I need is one of my horrible migraine type headaches and I will probably just put myself out for the day. It is times like this, and sadly they are frequent, when I really wonder what on earth possessed me to put in this extensive garden without having someone install a sprinkler system on a timing device. I know you wrestle with far more life-threatening issues that intrude on you far more seriously than my petty stuff but physically speaking my health in terms of pain and waning mobility started at 52 and it has been a constant battle ever since. But in spite of it, I have gotten so much joy out of being able to fill the hours since then with my dogs, cats and butterflies. So I am very glad you have all those productive years to enjoy over again through your recollections. And I am very appreciative of the ability you have to allow your many forum friends to gain from you and your work. Murray |
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