My third one just dropped it's skin, first crystalis, found a monarch catapiller with a bad leaking hole, it's still alive, but probably not for long, I found grub responsible for killing it,

First Two pictures are ones in my garden that disappeared to have crystalis, next one is my first monarch to make a crystalis
Third picture is swallowtail catapiller, then monarchs eating milkweed, then another swallowtail, and two swallowtail in crystalis or whatever they call them

Two catapiller were killed today by the parasitic bugs
I think I was wrong looks like one was just shedding it's skin

Natures way is that not all born live a full life. Everything is sustenance for something else. Every species needs to beat the odds - or its EXTINCTION.

T-2.0, the swallowtail pupae need to be overwintered to mature as they "hatch"(metamorph) in the spring.

Let 3 monarchs go yesterday and another 2 ready to fly the coop (as soon as it quits raining). 9 more getting ready to emerge.

Oh wow!! I had no idea! So just keep them in climate controlled, or can they also be in cold garage?

Lots of info on the web depending on what you want to winter. Some can be done as eggs, cats or pupae. Google "over wintering swallowtail pupae" as a start.

Thanks
Looked at site, thanks again, well darn I wanted to see them soon!
Well the monarchs are almost done, I think I had 17+ before 3 died from bug

WOW! Those are good pictures and you have done a great job taking care of them. Keep us posted and I will continue to search for eggs or larva to see if I can raise some butterflies.

Thanks

Next summer, plant a lot of parsley plants. The swallowtail caterpillar will eat them for food. Sometimes get a dozen or more on a plant.

Ya parsley, carrot, fennel, dill. I have a bunch of dill, I've seen them there before I just never thought of bringing them in

I thought the swallowtail tail picture there was good, it's one that already is in cocoon
Two of three monarchs are hanging, and one crystalis

I think five of 17 so far we're infected with the wasp grub
I thought one of the swallowtail died in cocoon because it turned brown and others were green, I guess some are brown and some green, naturally, good thing I didn't throw it away

Most swallowtail chrysalis's before and into winter around me. Might be a camo tactic for when green disappears for the winter and they change chemically to be able to survive freezing. Nature is nothing if not amazing in its ability to adapt to survive, IMO. The generation of Monarch you are raising should be the SUPER Monarchs that will migrate to Mexico/Central America(Monarch east of the Rockies,west to S. Cal/NW Mexico). But you are south enough where you might get one more generation. Here they will be heading south soon as the wildflowers(milkweeds, liastrises - favorite, peak and go to seed). They will never return. You would never see one you might tag to track migration return like birds.

You can sex them by the size of the black "spot" on lower/underside wing. Female adult Monarch butterflies are slightly darker and have wider black lines on their wings.

Way cool!
I just spread the seeds from areas with tons of MW to areas that don't have much if any.

Thanks for the info drake, it's kinda cool to help them if I can improve survival rate, make up for the 3-4 I hit this year with my truck!!
So if swallowtail comes out in cold weather , what do I do? Where will it go?

My best method of overwintering pupae or cocoons is placing them between glass and screen of a window(any but south) or in screened porch and let Nature run its course. One must be attentive in the spring so they can be released once a butterfly. In the spring if they are black or very light(weight) they probably succumbed to something. You can also move them inside or outside in mid-spring if you can't watch them(but outside they are at Nature's mercy like others.

Thanks I was thinking my unheated garage would be good, I still have one window with an old type screen on the north side of the house, I'll try that,
I thought one was missing yesterday, it hung itself under the foil covering the water, I looked all over my kitchen several times, three more hung on outside of the box last night, five crystalis hanging on outside of the box now, I think I have one more of the last four that will die, he's not eating, must have a grub in him