Flown the Coop

I found the chysalis open and empty yesterday aftenoon when I went to check on it.

And this black swallowtail was flitting about enjoying all the tall verbenas in bloom. I don't think it would be too far- fetched to say that this beauty is the Cinderella that emerged from that cocoon.

Transformed!

Wow! How cool is this. No, this is not some trendy new kind of sugar snap pea. This is the final stage of the black swallowtail's metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly. As they grow and mature as caterpillars they shed their skins. What you see covering it is the skin from that final molting. Note the fine silk thread sewn into the stem attaching the chrysalis to its changing room, so to speak.
Though I have had many butterfly cats before in the garden, I've never seen this stage before. It appears that this caterpillar moved along the frond of the fennel until it was able to cross onto the rose bush.
Two days before I took this picture, I had found him on the rose stem in a "C"- shape, totally still, stiff and frozen. The next day when I went to check, I found it enshrouded in this skin. It apparently takes 10- 14 days inside this cocoon for the transformation to butterfly to complete.
I'll keep you posted on the birth of the butterfly. I hope I catch it.

The caterpillar stage takes several days. They molt 4 times prior to the chrysalis stage and start out looking like very tiny bugs with lots of legs. This is a late stage caterpillar munching the heck out of my bronze fennel.

An Admiral Visits

A host (swarm, flock, passle?) of Red Admiral butterflies visited the garden yesterday and posed prettily for their close- ups. They were very tame. In fact, one landed right on the front of my T- shirt as if to check me out.

I may be watching too much "Project Runway" for my first thought when I saw the mottled coloring on the underside of their wings was what an inspiration it would be for a fabulous dress design or fabric pattern. "Designers, get out your butterfly charts! One hour to sketch your butterfly inspired creations."
Here is a link to identify your inspiring garden visitors. http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabambc/construct-species-page.asp?sp=Vanessa-atalanta

When Given Parsley, Make Tabbouleh

Black Swallowtail caterpillar on Italian parsley

My garden is very slow to wake up from its winter nap. It's as if it is gun shy and weary from the extremes it has endured this past year- record breaking heat and drought followed by an usually cold and wet winter. A few plants are goners and I have my fingers crossed for a few more to pull through.

But one bright note is the Italian parsley. It  survived the cold winter with some help from some sheets and overturned plastic pots and is just loving the cool nights and warm days.  It's inspiring me in the kitchen, too.