In my Garden - Bird poop bugs!

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Can you survive while looking like a poop-stain?

In nature, not only is this possible - the one that looks like poop best will survive!

Look closely... it is sort of pretty... for something pretending to look like a garden turd... and it IS eating the leaves of our lemon tree...

@lex-zaiya suggested that I keep it until it pupates. I could possibly do so... I would need to feed it too!

Just a short a sweet update and discovery of what I found in the garden!

Cheers!
@zakludick

Hive South Africa



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21 comments
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I used to keep pupa in glass jars (lids had holes), and released the moths/butterflies. But I'm an entomologist. so yeah...I still think that is a giant Swallowtail and would love to see it as an adult.

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Bird poop is actually a great fertilizer and can be beneficial for your garden. It contains high levels of nitrogen, which is essential for plant growth and can help plants to grow stronger and healthier.

Overall, it's great to see people finding value in unexpected places.

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No need to capture it, leave it on the tree. It's a caterpillar of the Citrus Swallowtail Butterfly https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_demodocus

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Indeed! Though I worry that our cats will eat them. Chai likes eating bugs...

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Most cats will eat beetles, flies, flying ants, grasshoppers and moths but stay away from caterpillars

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So Chai is waiting for the metamorphosis! 😹😹😹

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Yep, I found one on my kitchen floor the other day that the cats had nabbed after it had emerged and the wings were still unfolding. The little turds didn't eat it, just tortured it a bit

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You're so lucky! They're the caterpillar form of the Giant Swallowtail butterfly!

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(Edited)

Looks like you have a guest, I once found one some time ago on a plant outside my compound and I watched it grow and one morning it was gone.

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