Other plants, such as peppers and parsley, have long growing seasons and should be just coming into their glory. The parsley, intended for a tabouleh salad, is not destined for our table. Swallowtail caterpillars have consumed almost all of it.
This plant had five caterpillars on it when I first looked. By the time I shot the photo, there were only four. (Look for the fourth one on the lowest stem, partially obscured by one above it.) The fifth caterpillar had left the parsley to look for a place to become a chrysalis. Here he goes...
This is the end of Act II. Act III will begin after a six-day intermission. This weekend we will plant kale and collards, set out savoy cabbage and escarole seedlings, and hope that Nature will bless our efforts.
2 comments:
How long does a Swallowtail live? I used to follow the Monarch butterfly life cycle back when we lived in Monterey. I was amazed to learn that one generation lived through the winter on Eucalyptus trees in Pacific Grove and of course, further south, and one generation was the migrating kind. Wonder what the Swallowtail does?
I have a HUGE parsley BUSH now, but no insect action of any kind...
I need to research how long they live. We have had generation after generation this summer. They have eaten the dill, carrots, and now, parsley. The adult butterflies feed in the flower bed on cone flowers, false sunflowers, and phlox . Next year we should plant a whole row of parsley. The three plants we have are completely stripped now, leaving several caterpillars with nothing to eat.
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