Black Swallowtail Butterfly (Caterpillar Stage)

This caterpillar, if he’s fortunate enough to come to full maturity, will end up a Black Swallowtail Butterfly. I found him, as well as several others, munching on this dill plant.  The dill plant is one of their favorite food choices.

Caterpillars are preyed upon by many species of birds as well as, yellow jackets, and some beetles. In some parts of the world man is their worst enemy as they are eaten for their nutritional value. They are found in tree tops, garden plants and sometimes grassy areas where they find food in all these locations.

Life cycle of a Black Swallowtail Butterfly:

Egg Stage (where a butterfly lays an egg), 4-10 days.
Caterpillar (Larval) stage, 3-4 weeks.
Chrysalis (pupal) stage, 10-20 days.
Butterfly, 6-14 days.

All this just to mature into a Butterfly eventually and live 6-14 days. For more information on the Black Swallowtail Butterfly go here: https://www.butterfliesathome.com/black-swallowtail-butterfly.htm

Photographed with a Nikon D7100, 24 MP camera and a Nikon 40 mm/f2.8  MACRO lens. 35 mm equiv. = 60 mm.

1/320th, f16, ISO 1100, MANUAL MODE with MANUAL HAND HELD FLASH