The Pipevine Swallowtail is another butterfly that we have here in Loudoun. Pipevine Swallowtails have two host plants which the caterpillars feed on. One is the Pipevine, sometimes also called Dutchman’s Pipe. The other is Virginia Snakeroot.
I planted some Pipevine in our yard a few years ago, and while it took some time to get established, it now serves as a pipevine buffet, with a good number of butterflies raised from it each year.
Earlier this summer, I was inspecting the vine and saw the orange eggs, all clustered together. A few hours later, the eggs started to hatch and I caught it on video! I raised the caterpillars indoors and then released the adult butterflies. It was a lot of fun. Here’s a video that shows the different stages:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEyo_a0dl4Q