I'd say there's a pretty good chance he's coming out this morning or early afternoon. When you can see through the chrysalis and see the colors of the little butterfly inside, eclosion is imminent.

Black Swallowtails at my house seem to prefer a variety of nectar plants. I have seen them on Lantana, Phlox, Butterfly Bush, Zinnias, and Cone Flowers.

Good Luck and congratulations!

~Laura

Wow you were correct! To my amazement I have a male..I believe. I scrambled around and threw together some nectar for him. What a beauty. I just released him or really he released himself. The most beautiful thing! Thank you -Jen

What a beauty - congratulations, Jen!!

Sherry

Goodness, he sure is a looker alright! Awesome! The Black Swallowtails in my yard seem to prefer butterfly bush and lantana. Of course, there is really no way to MAKE them stay in your yard, but you sure can encourage them by providing plenty of host plantings and nectar sources. You don't need to worry about feeding them when they first eclose. They can go the first 24hrs without food, and unless the weather is horrific, you can release them as soon as their wings are completely dry and they are flying about. Just remember that if you have any Black Swallowtail cats that pupate in the fall to keep them in a cold place overwinter so that the butterflies don't eclose during the winter months. I keep mine in my garage over winter, and they eclose in the Spring.
Angie

Wow thank you Angie. I have to say I was a bit worried when the little guy took off without eating!! I can now rest assured!

You are welcome. The only time that a person would need to worry about feeding them is if it is less than 50 degrees outside or perhaps really pouring rain. Even when it is raining, I just wait for a break in the rain and release them then. After all, butterflies do live outside and can figure out what to do in bad weather. :o)
Angie

Gorgeous! Nothing like a newly-eclosed butterfly. I wish they could always look so brand-new and brilliant.

I've recently seen butterflies flying around in generally overcast and damp conditions and even light rain a couple of times (including earlier today), which kind of debunked my assumption that they won't fly in less than ideal weather.

I had a BST once that actually survived nature and made it all the way to a butterfly (there may have been more, but since most of the caterpillars who survived long enough to pupate wandered off to some unknown location to do so, I don't know if they made it or not). I was so fascinated by him, just watching him dry his wings and all that, it never occurred to me to feed him! :) I'm sure he found plenty to eat once he flew off.

Nice photos!

butterflies don't need to feed before they are released. The only time I feed them is if I keep them overnight for any reason.

Black swallowtails like zinnias and butterfly bush, but they don't stay around the garden like monarchs do....a much more mysterious butterfly! Tony

Thank you all for your input. You've all been so helpful. I successfully raised 19 butterflies!!! I certainly didn't know growing parsley would lead me to these beauties. Now I know for next year! Thankfully I was on vacation from work and was able to experience them coming back to life!