Out in droves

All caterpillar photos by Debbie Bird, 9/4/11. Debbie and her husband Jerry are members of the SCVN class of 2011. 

These are the larvae (caterpillars) of the Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly. (Talk about metamorphosis!) These little critters have totally denuded the Pipevine (Aristolocia watsonii) plant, their food source at this stage (see a whole one below).

Photo by Carol Tornow, who, along with her husband Walt, is mentoring Debbie and Jerry.

Thanks to Debbie and Carol for these great photos! A hearty thanks as well to Beth of the Firefly Forest for the indispensable links! And to my reader in Latvia - be sure to contact me if you find yourself in Tucson. Quiz of the day: Capitol of Latvia. No googling.