Swallowtail Butterfly Life Cycle!

This is the Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly is one of the most majestic butterflies in the Eastern United States. This is their complete life cycle. Spicebush Swallowtails - Papilio Troilus has a lot of tricks up it's sleeve though! The caterpillars look like snakes or treefrogs in order to confuse and deter predators. These butterfly caterpillars spend most of their life eating leaves of spicebush and sassafrass in order to prepare for metamorphosis into an adult butterfly. If their disguise doesn't work, they have another trick. They quickly stick out two tentacles known as their osmoeterium and it looks JUST LIKE a snakes toungue, only yellow or orange. The butterfly is often mistaken for the famous Black Swallowtail Butterflies, but they look different if you know what to look for.
#nature #animals #wildlife

[smetlogik]

Ok, c'mon, who wouldn't want to come back as a spicebush? You get to look like a snake, have a sleeping bag/tent, remember your former life and turn into a cool looking butterfly.

[ThePollaton]

Mother Nature definitely has some cool tricks.

[karenwilkins]

Absolutely beautiful caterpillars - purely stunning and cute

[amyesworldcatherinesminime]

Who else had to replay and pause to see the subliminal message?

[AreteSr]

Awesome, Chris -- thanks for your clarity and for sharing such wonders as this spicebush-swallowtail lifecycle. True wonder at each stage.

[yourtubeccount]

swallowtail butterfly! wow such an informative video title! wow 'swallowtail'

[janicepell]

Okay Chris, so informative video I really enjoyed the whole video, I especially like how you get excited about telling us all about it. Truly a joy to watch, Thanks so much. A fan

[CompetitiveFishingFreak]

Hello from Michigan near Lake Saint Clair Detroit area Zone 6b monarch butterfly and Black Swallowtail butterfly rearer, ive released 40 black swallowtail butterflies, next year I'm expanding to the pipevine swallowtails, spicebush Swallowtails, Red Admiral butterflies, and the Hummingbird clearwing Hawk moth

[TheWildlifeBrothers]

Spicebush swallowtails are probably my favorite local caterpillar, those eyespots are so cool and now that you mention it, it’s incredible how they have that white coloration that looks like reflected light, I never noticed that before. The adults are really pretty as well, and even spicebush itself is an awesome plant. I learned a lot as always, I hope I get to see some more invertebrates before it gets too cold!
- Harrison and Evan

[evangevii]

so I found a western tiger swallowtail caterpillar. He kept falling out of the tree for some reason. So I moved him carefully into a bigger container with dirt, the leaves and sticks that they eat. But he is not moving today? It’s like he is dead

[sapelesteve]

Very interesting video Chris! The changes that occur during metamorphosis are truly incredible! Hope that all is well on your end my friend! Be well.... 👍👍🦋🦋🦋🦋

[fp]

I have a ton of related swallowtail catepillers on my tiny potted patio lemon tree. I have to relocte them sometimes to larger trees around my neighborhood since my lemon in not enough for all of them. But I have already found three split open chrysalises!

[AniFam]

They are all very unique~👍
Thank you for sharing this video~🤗

[RichardAStonemasonNOTfreemason]

Amazing. Perfectly created or perfectly evolved?
That, .. is a question...

[naturewithgabe]

Awesome documentation of a neat species!

[thomaszaccone]

One of these caterpillars sticks out an orange projection from its front if you touch its back. It looks like a snake's tongue. I think it's called an osmo- something or other. Lepidopterans are beautiful. I love them but Odonates are my favorite. Orthopterans are kind of neat too and some beetles like tiger beetles.

[AaronAKPParrish]

Great video! Really informative. Thank you 🙏🏾

[ScottALanter]

This came up in my recommended videos today and I'm glad it did, too. It was fascinating to watch from beginning to end. I knew a caterpillar grew into a butterfly. But, I had no idea the process was this involved. Amazing! I have a whole new appreciation for them now, especially the Spicebush Swallowtail. Incredible!

[theswordoftheevening]

I just watched your B & Y Orb Weaver video. I'm impressed by them too but my phobia is very strong. It looks like you live in my habitat by the animals and plants in the background. Very well done stuff as I can vet you as you go.

[thangelad]

How cool! The caterpillar actually looks like my niece’s snake drawings ;)
The camouflage is so convincing. I wonder what prevents the initial larva from eating all of the eggs in the bunch if it hatches first.