Swallowtail Journal

by Pat Hitchcock

Parsley has been luxuriant in my garden this year. I wish I could take credit for it, but I have to confess that the largest patch of it sprouted voluntarily late last winter, just as the fall-planted parsley decided to go to seed. I dug some up and planted it in other parts of the kitchen garden. Because my garden is plagued by gophers, I've gotten in the habit of planting it in several places to make it harder for the gophers to find all of it, as parsley seems to be a favorite in their diet. Naturally, because I had lots of parsley, the gophers ignored it and have enjoyed other plantings. So I have had a constant supply of this quintessential garnish available all of this year.

Recently I harvested a large bunch of parsley because I needed it for a couple of dishes I was making: baba ghanoush and a lamb and bean stew. Of course there was more than I needed so I made a plain green (but aromatic!) bouquet of it and set it on the counter. Parsley stays pretty fresh this way, and it is convenient to have it washed and ready when I need it.

After a few days I noticed something small, black and grubby on a parsley leaf. I hastily washed it off into my compost bucket. I didn't think much about it, and then there was another. By the time a third creature appeared my subconscious brain had gotten the attention of my conscious brain and it occurred to me that I just might have caterpillars of the Anise Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio zelicaon)hatching from eggs laid in the parsley. This time I let the ugly black critter alone and within a day or two it had developed the characteristic green coloring with black bands containing orange spots of the larger instars.

A quick internet search confirmed my identification. Art Shapiro's Butterfly Site (http://butterfly.ucdavis.edu/butterfly/Papilio/zelicaon) describes the first instars as looking like bird droppings, which is what I thought I was seeing at first.

Coincidentally, I've been working with the workshop team that has put on a four part series about creating a pollinator garden. As I've been mulling over what to plant this fall for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds (among others), I've been thinking about milkweed for monarchs, and all kinds of flowering plants for the pollinators. Every week it has been pointed out that a pollinator garden needs to have not only flowers for nectar and pollen, but host plants for the larvae. The Anise Swallowtail usually lays eggs on plants from the Apiaceae family. In the wild this might be hemlock or fennel; in my yard parsley is the favored plant.

Since I am trying to attract pollinators, I am willing to share the parsley with as many caterpillars as I can find. While Mr. Zelicaon is munching away on the parsley bouquet in the kitchen, I've been searching for more caterpillars in the vegetable patch. So far, no luck, although there is plenty of fodder for them. I suspect that birds have found them easy prey out there. Several years ago I had a potted parsley plant near the back door (another strategy to keep it safe from gophers) which hatched out three or four caterpillars. But they were short-lived; all disappeared over time.

I am enjoying this odd little pet in my kitchen. It drops quite a bit of frass, so the vase sits on a large plastic lid to corral the black droppings and keep them off my kitchen table. Because it is October, I suspect that this caterpillar, when it goes into its chrysalis, will likely wait until next year to emerge. Already I am fretting over where to keep it safe through the winter months. I am also sad that I removed those first two creatures from the parsley. I might now be watching three caterpillars devour parsley leaves, right on my kitchen table.

By the way, I highly recommend the resource list that the pollinator workshop team created. It's available on our public website under the events tab: http://napamg.ucanr.edu/Workshop_References_and_Slides/Gardening_for_Pollinators_--_September_20_2020/

Master Gardeners are following recommended social distancing guidelines that keep everyone safe, Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143.  Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.

Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.

Photo credits: Pat Hitchcock caterpillar; butterfly Calibas / CC BY-SA