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Written by Karen D., Somerset County Rutgers Master Gardener
Who doesn’t love butterflies! These majestic creatures delight the young and old. Before butterflies can be seen gliding about in our gardens, we have to consider the true heroes who make it all possible. We are talking about caterpillars. Monarchs and Black Swallowtails have specific host plants on which they feed and lay eggs. The Monarch butterfly will only lay her eggs on milkweed plants. The caterpillars will then hatch and eat only milkweed prior to forming a chrysalis. Similarly, black swallowtail butterflies will lay her eggs on herbs in the carrot family (Apiaceae or Umbelliferae), such as parsley, fennel, dill, and Queen Anne’s lace. The caterpillars then feed on these plants before forming a chrysalis. Both species go through the four stages of their life cycle (metamorphosis) on their journey to becoming a beautiful butterfly, a process which takes about 28-35 days. Monarchs are orange and black while Swallowtails are black with yellow and blue patterns on their wings.
If you would like to know more about Monarch and Black Swallowtail butterflies, come visit the Board of Agriculture/Rutgers Master Gardener tent at the 4-H Fair from August 7-9. In addition to showcasing the different stages of development, the Rutgers Master Gardeners will be holding a butterfly release every day at 3PM just outside of our tent. Looking forward to seeing many of you at the fair!
