You are so lucky to have the only Chinese Swallowtails in the USA!! I saw your earlier postings and they are just beautiful!!
Keep us all posted; I'd love to see what the cats look like...

Thanks Leafhead, we only have 1 one type of swallowtail in the entire state:-) , I wish we have pipervines, tiger swallowtails, etc. But I guess even this one is introduced.will definitely keep you all posted when these babies comes out.

Keeping an eye on this thread :)

I thought I already posted a response, but it's not here. Anyway, I am also looking forward to more pictures as they grow. It is so fun to be able to share the wonderful differences between our climates. Can I ask which island you are on? And do all of the islands share natural inhabitants, or are some creatures unique to one island or another? For example, are the Chinese Swallowtails present on all the Hawaiian islands? And are Monarchs on each island year round? TIA

Martha

Woo hoo! That's fantastic!

Please post pictures of the cats in their various instars - we'd love to see their progress. I'm betting that they'll look a lot like our eastern black swallowtails or the western anise swallowtails, but time will tell.

Sherry

Congrats on your eggs! The Chinese Swallowtail is a gorgeous butterfly.

Hawaii, my son and I took a trip in December 2011 to Oahu and the Big Island. It was a special trip together when he turned 18. We learned that there weren't any butterflies that were native to the Big Island. Is that true of Oahu too?

That's great that she left you some eggs to raise! I'll look forward to seeing the various stages of the cats. Congrats!
Cathy

Here is one of the little one earlier this morning ( 09.17.13)

I think I posted a picture reply earlier in the main page, heheh, pardon me:-). Martha, from what I read and understand, Hawaii only have 2 native butterflies, one is Kamehameha butterfly or "pulelehua", and the other one is Hawaiian blue or "koa", which is, honestly I have not seen any of it. I live in ewa beach, West Oahu, 30-40 mins. away from Honolulu, or Waikiki. I probably seen more of Monarch and Chinese swallowtail, I have seen cabbage white once in a while. We have moths, but I don't think they are pretty, and from what I heard 15 kinds of butterflies here were introduced. our monarch stays in the island, it does not fly to other states, in Canada or mexico. they are available all year round. I guess because our temperature stays between 78 to lower 90s. I believe monarch butterflies are available in other islands as well.sadly due to increase numbers of homes being build every year, we are loosing agricultural lands, so we don't have enough habitat for these guys to nectar on. ( wild flowers ), also due to use of pesticides....the host plants, the crown flower, is pretty much being used for lei making, for swallowtails? again, the host plant is anything citrusy, is available pretty much all over the islands, but the problem is the nectar plants...oh, I forgot to mention the birds, and that pesky anole lizards, they are everywhere!!! for the big island, Hawaii...maybe, maybe it is true that they don't have the native butterflies, but that island is so big, we never really know?

Thanks for the detailed answer to my questions. Development everywhere is harming wildlife. We need to continue to encourage people to include native plants in there landscape, and avoid pesticides. The changing climate is scary, also. I watched a documentary last night on how much the oceans around Alaska have grown due to melting of the glaciers and polar ice. The coast guard can't keep up with all the boat traffic in all the new waterways, and the chart-makers can't explore the waters and map out dangerous areas fast enough. The northern parts of Alaska are now accessible via water much more than previously. And the Russian border is also much more accessible. So many changes. We live in a fascinating age.

Martha

that's why we have to try and do what we can.