Caterpillar Farming
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I grow fennel in my garden. mostly because it it a host plant for the lovely Anise Swallowtail Butterfly. In past years, Robb and I have scrutinized the plants for baby caterpillars. This year, I'm doing something different. As soon as I see an egg, I bring the frond it is attached to inside, and let the egg hatch in the safety of our caterpillar tank.
So far, we seem to be doing well. We've got caterpillars of all sizes and stages of development, munching fennel and growing. We've even had one attach itself to a branch in preparation for pupating. I'm not going to photograph this creature right away. I'm worried I'll jostle it while its insides are rearranging themselves. That might be catastrophic, so photos can wait.
I grow fennel in my garden. mostly because it it a host plant for the lovely Anise Swallowtail Butterfly. In past years, Robb and I have scrutinized the plants for baby caterpillars. This year, I'm doing something different. As soon as I see an egg, I bring the frond it is attached to inside, and let the egg hatch in the safety of our caterpillar tank.
So far, we seem to be doing well. We've got caterpillars of all sizes and stages of development, munching fennel and growing. We've even had one attach itself to a branch in preparation for pupating. I'm not going to photograph this creature right away. I'm worried I'll jostle it while its insides are rearranging themselves. That might be catastrophic, so photos can wait.
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sojourner