4 Strategic Secrets of Lepidoptera Development

Black Swallowtail — Eggs are single, round, pale yellow or yellow-green, often on new leaves or flowers of parsley, dill, fennel, carrot, rue, or Queen Anne’s lace. Adults are commonly active from mid-May to late September in many northern areas, longer in warmer regions. Eggs hatch in 4–9 days, the caterpillar feeds for 10–30 days, then forms a green or brown chrysalis for about 9–18 days; adults usually live around 1–2 weeks.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail — Eggs are single, round, green, and laid on leaves of host trees like wild cherry, tulip tree, sweetbay magnolia, ash, basswood, and willow. Egg-laying is mainly spring through summer, with more broods in the South. Eggs hatch in 4–10 days, the caterpillar stage lasts 3–4 weeks, then the chrysalis stage takes 10–20 days unless it overwinters. Adults live about 2 weeks.

Mourning Cloak — Eggs are white to tan, ribbed, and laid in big rings or clusters around twigs of willow, elm, poplar, cottonwood, hackberry, aspen, or birch. Adults overwinter, then mate and lay eggs mostly in April–May. Eggs hatch in 10–12 days, caterpillars often feed together for about a month or more, then hang as a brown/gray chrysalis for around 11 days to 2 weeks. Adults are very long-lived for butterflies, often 10–12 months because they overwinter as adults.

Red Admiral — Eggs are single, green to cream, tiny, and often hidden on nettles or related plants like false nettle. In North America, they can produce broods from about March to October, depending on climate. Eggs usually hatch in about a week, caterpillars live in folded nettle-leaf shelters and feed for about 3–4 weeks, then form a hanging chrysalis for about 10 days to 2–3 weeks. Adults often live around 2 weeks, but some can survive longer or overwinter in mild places.

Luna Moth — Eggs are usually grayish-brown or pale, laid singly or in small groups on leaves of walnut, hickory, sweetgum, birch, persimmon, sumac, or willow. In the North, adults are common around May–July; in the South, they can have more broods from spring into early fall. Eggs hatch in about 7 days, caterpillars feed for 3–4 weeks, then spin a silk-and-leaf cocoon for about 3–4 weeks in warm weather, or overwinter in leaf litter. Adults live only about 1 week because they do not feed.

Cecropia Moth — Eggs are large for moth eggs, pale or mottled reddish-brown, laid in small groups or rows on both sides of leaves of trees like cherry, apple, maple, willow, birch, elm, poplar, oak, and beech. In many areas, adults lay eggs in late spring to early summer, often June–July. Eggs hatch in 10–14 days, caterpillars feed and grow for about a month or more, then spin a tough cocoon that usually overwinters. Adults emerge the next spring/early summer and live about 1–2 weeks, because they do not eat.

Five-spotted Hawkmoth / Tomato Hornworm — Eggs are single, round, white to light green, about 1/16 inch, usually laid on the underside or upper surface of tomato, pepper, eggplant, potato, tobacco, and other nightshade plants. Adults and eggs are most common from spring through summer, with at least two broods in many areas. Eggs hatch in about 5 days, the hornworm feeds for around 20 days to 3–4 weeks, then drops to the ground and pupates 4–6 inches deep in soil. A new adult can emerge in about 2 weeks in season, or the pupa can overwinter; adults usually live 2–3 weeks.