Black Swallowtail Caterpillar – Provoked

  • Post published:09/20/2012
  • Post comments:5 Comments

I think the black swallowtail butterfly caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes) is really pretty and I have never complained that it eats so much of my dill. How unlike the  Giant swallowtail butterfly caterpillar I showed yesterday. However they both have the forked osmeterium that they exhibit when they are provoked and alarmed. It  sends out a bad smell to discourage predators. I got to see what I thought was a forked tongue when I was trying to put my…