This slightly damaged, but still impressive beauty was enjoying the warmth in the new polytunnel.
This Spring has been the best ever for Swallowtail sightings in the garden. The increase in the numbers of egg laying females and the significant amount of new fennel planting may be coincidental but I don’t think so. There are also more males arriving to feed – especially this year on the Hesperis matronalis alba which is flowering everywhere.
The settled sunny and warm weather has helped enormously.
Four instars of Swallowtail caterpillar. As luck would have it, these are not on fennel but are on one the solitary carrot plant from last year that I was saving to collect seed!
I must plant some Hesperis if the swallowtails enjoy them. We’ve had just one this year and seven caterpillars (that we saw). I make big plans for butterfly gardens every year and don’t quite get there. Also on my list is hemp agrimony which is good for late summer feeding.