Black Swallowtail Butterfly Larvae

Sometimes in my garden I will find Black Swallowtail butterfly larvae happily munching on things I would really rather they leave alone. I have found them on carrot tops, parsley, and rue. I don't kill them, but rather put them in a jar and give them to a teacher or a homeschool mom, so she can share the fascinating larvae-to-butterfly process with her students.

I like butterflies. Sometimes in the past I have had to wait a day or two before delivering the larvae, and I noticed that the numbers of caterpillars would slowly dwindle. At first I was puzzled, but I think I found out what was happening. Wasps would come and carry them away to feed their nest. While I like the butterflies, there are other caterpillars that I don't appreciate, and I like the thought that all day long, there are hunters looking to carry away the unwanted larvae. For this reason, when I see a wasp nest that isn't in a place where people are likely to run into it, I let them be. Free, all natural pest control for the garden!