How To Raise a Swallowtail Butterfly: Welcome

Welcome

An introduction to the life stages

Eggs

Caterpillars

Pupae

Butterflies

Host Plants

More information and links

Dr. Heinz's Home Page

Welcome!

This site originated in the occasional request from someone who had found (or whose child or friend had found) a caterpillar. They were often looking for help in getting it to the butterfly stage. With that in mind, I'm setting up this web site to post the information in a public place. Feel free to share the info on this site. However, please give credit where credit is due -- I don't mind you borrowing a picture, for instance, but please do not post it as your own. (This does not apply to anyone borrowing anything for their own profit -- only to those making the information freely available to others.)

Use the links to the left to navigate the site. You should see these links on every page, so feel free to use them to navigate throughout this site.

About me: I am currently an Assistant Professor of Biology at Benedictine University. For my research, I am interested in insect-plant interactions, and more specifically, in the ways in which swallowtail butterflies find and interact with their food plants. The butterfly I've had the most experience with is the black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), and I'll be focusing on that species here. Much of the information can be transferred to other species -- if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.