Green Form of a Black Swallowtail Butterfly Chrysalis. First, there are a few questions that need to be answered. Black Swallowtail butterflies are great to raise indoors for several reasons including abundance, plentiful food source, attractive and … Unable to move! Tie waxed dental floss around the silk above the cremaster (black part above chrysalis) OR; Stick at least half of the white silk above the chrysalis on to a piece of scotch tape; rehang the chrysalis- I usually tape ours under a kitchen cupboard with a soft towel underneath…just in case! The first year we raised black swallowtails, we collected a second batch of eggs after the first batch was successfully released. For a chrysalis/butterfly to survive the winter it will need to be exposed to cool/cold weather and short day lengths (no artificial light on a regular basis) to keep it in diapause. This … Our giant swallowtail caterpillars didn’t all form their chrysalides at the same time, but they all emerged in a short 2-day span, including three to quickly get the garden party started: SURPRISE! After they became pupae, though, we waited and waited for them to emerge as butterflies. After a few weeks, we knew something was wrong since there was no change. Black Swallowtail Chrysalis .....to Butterfly. "Why hasn't my swallowtail butterfly emerged from its chrysalis (pupa - cocoon)? The caterpillar attaches itself in a different manner than the Monarch caterpillar. Female Black Swallowtail Butterfly on Milkweed. This question is difficult to answer as it is asked. Raising a Black Swallowtail butterfly indoors is fun, easy, and educational. It made it’s chrysalis on September 3rd and I thought I would be overwintering it here in MN but it emerged today, Sept. 22nd. OR Swallowtail butterflies (in general) have surprisingly fragile wings. The Black Swallowtail Chrysalis metamorphosis is very interesting to watch. First the caterpillar spins some silk into a "button" and attaches its rear to the stick or stem. Let Swallowtail Caterpillars Choose WHERE to form Chrysalides, make adjustments if needed… If you’ve never raised swallowtail caterpillars before, you might be surprised to see them going pre-chrysalis crazy as they prepare to enter the 3rd stage of the butterfly life cycle.. First, they purge to clear themselves of excess waste before forming the chrysalis. Hello- I raise a few monarchs and this year found a black swallowtail on my dill, so brought it in to raise. by Laura Matika (Drexel Hill, PA USA) My kids and I have had the extraordinary and quite-by-chance opportunity to experience a Black Swallowtail caterpillar eat and grow and enter the chrysalis stage right on our kitchen windowsill.