Ode to the farmer

As a few caterpillars of the Swallowtail were not pupated yet (see my former blog) I was desperately looking for a carrot field last Monday; I was driving around hoping to find one. Finally I found one and took some green leaves and.....I found 16 caterpillars of the Swallowtail. On Wednesday I returned and collected 25 caterpillars (from the edges of the field).

25 Swallowtail caterpillars

Yesterday I drove again to this field but, as expected, it was gathered and the farmer was working on it far away. ​While I was searching for some resting green carrot leaves I heard the noice af the tractor coming closer and closer.

The farmer was curious what I was doing and I explained him that his carrot field was walhalla for a special kind of butterfly. I showed him some photos of the Swallowtail ​and he told me that he was concerned about the decline of insects/butterflies and that the machine forgot one row of carrots.  He showed  me the row and while we were talking he decided not to plow it. He was very friendly and allowed me to enter his field and to use this row for fresh caterpillar food if necessary. While I took some leaves I found again 5 caterpillars. In total I collected 46 caterpillars from this field.

The majority of the 46 caterpillars will pupate within a few days. Together with the other chrysalises I need to reorganize my hibernation box as for the first time it is completely full. For the other caterpillars I ordered a new one....who knows what I will find the next days.