The Zebra Swallowtail is never far from her
host plant, the Paw-paw bush.
We have five now in the back yard.
The leaves on the bushes are being eaten up
by the Zebra Swallowtail caterpillars.
This pleases me!
One of these days I will have a nice colony of Zebra Swallowtails in the backyard.
14 comments:
Now that butterfly is to die for.....I have no words to describe its beauty.....
Dear Cheryl,
I am smitten with this butterfly, head over heels in love. Having them in my backyard is a dream come true.
Sherry
Dear Sherry,
Gasp! How beautiful - how are your paw-paw (trees? shrubs?) faring? How many do you have? I've simply GOT to expand my butterfly garden next year. To think that all this time I thought of all butterflies as monarchs and swallowtails - there are so many more!
Laura
All of your swallowtail photos are good Sherry but these Zebra pictures are outstanding. I can almost see/feel their essence.
Wow, Sherry! These beauties are breathtaking. Your pics are simply stunning.
What a looker! I can see why you'd like a colony of these swallowtails in your yard. Whatever you're doing in your garden, keep it up.
Where is my pawpaw tree or bush or whatever it's called? LOL! I need to go on a hunt.
Dear Laura,
The Paw-paws have a few leaves eaten up! This is very wonderful. I have five bushes. Four of them we planted this past spring. It will take a few years for the tiny bushes to become big enough to support lots of Zebra Swallowtail caterpillers but at least I know some are doing okay.
Do expand your plantings so you have the host plants for the butterflies in your area. So many of the host plants are not considered "Pretty" so gardeners do not plant them. Without the host plants our butterflies will die out. Our butterflies depend on us to plant for them. More and more of their habitat is being distroyed. I hope every gardener will plant one area in their garden in host plants.
Gardening for the bugs is very fun!
Sherry
Dear Lisa,
Thank you.
I was very pleased with these pictures too. I am happy the Zebras found my paw-paw bushes.
Sherry
Dear Vikki,
Thank you. I try...
Mother Nature has great subjects to photograph. When they are in my backyard I am very, very pleased!
Sherry
Dear Mike,
How nice to meet you! It is easy to go from birds to bugs and back again.
I so enjoy your site; lots of great birds.
I am going wild and native with a wee bit of veggies for my table.
Sherry
Dear Mary,
Your Zebra's are gorgeous too! The paw-paw must be near by. They can be large bushes. Often they are in the wild. Maybe there is a wild woodsy area near by?
I am looking for a Prickly Ash tree for my backyard. Host plant for the Giant Swallowtail. One has been shopping me for the last week. She looks at every plant in the yard. Bless her heart...
Sherry
I do have a large area behind the property that is very wild - full of trees and bushes. It's an overgrown culvert. Right now I can't get to it to investigate due to the raspberries and pokeberries blocking the way.
Your Zebra Swallowtail is so pretty! I don't know how you got such good photos - they're so flitty!
Dear Mary,
I bet the Paw-paws are near by!
I use speed priority to snap pictures while the Zebra is nectaring, stop action.
The pokeweed has taken over my eastside gardens. Once the birds are finished with the berries I will reclaim my flower beds!
What a mess...but the birds love the berries.
Anything for the birds.
Sherry
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