Caterpillar ID

[Aurelia]

While waiting for my ride home, I found this caterpillar on a brick wall. Sorry for the bad pics. I haven't taken it out of the bag I put it in yet because I don't know if it's poisonous or what. It's kind of hard to see in the pics but it has a single black band and a thinner yellow band in front of the black with tiny, almost fluorescent blue dots all over its body. It also has yellow eye spots near its head. It gives off a sort of stinky but sweet chamomile smell.

If anyone could identify it for me, I'd really appreciate it. Does anyone keep caterpillars? I would like to keep it if I can, and observe its metamorphosis, but I don't know about care, housing or feeding.

 

[crpy]

Tiger swallow tail , I think

 

[Aurelia]

Cool! I think you're right. How should I care for it? When I was putting it into the bag, it stuck out its osmeterium and that scent is potent!

 

[crpy]

Cool! I think you're right. How should I care for it? When I was putting it into the bag, it stuck out its osmeterium and that scent is potent!

Yep, wow she/he is running late this time of year. Its probably going to pupate soon and build a chrysalis. If you are going to keep it put it in a container with a stick to secure the chrysalis. Pupation is usually for 1.5-2 weeks but if it gets cooler then it will take longer to morph. I find them on citrus trees, do you have citrus near by?

 

[Aurelia]

No, I think Montana isn't warm enough for citrus. I read that they eat mountain ash, and we have a lot of that here. I put it in a container with potting soil (no fertilizer or pesticides) with a stick and a leaf from an apple tree in there. It's been really cold this week, it feels like Fall already, yay!

Is there a possibility it will pupate over winter? I think I read that somewhere...

 

[blazetown]

swallowtails are here too and so they must eat a couple species of trees/plants

 

[Aurelia]

Caterpillar: The caterpillar's first meal is its own eggshell. After that, the caterpillars eat the tulip tree (Liriodendron), sweet bay, wild black cherry (Prunus), ash (Fraxinus), wild poplar (Populus), Basswood (Tilia), birch (Betula), lilac, aspens, or choke cherry.

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterfly/species/Tigersw.shtml

 

[crpy]

Let us know when it pupates

 

[antbebo]

Definitely a tiger swallowtail. I have had 2 to pupate and later come out as beautiful butterflies. I live in West Texas (HOT) and both stayed in pupa state over winter, spring, summer, and came out the following early fall. Don't give up on it once it turns to a chrysalis. I honestly had forgotten about both of mine, being nearly a year later, and one day there was a beautiful butterfly.

 

[Aurelia]

Well, it's already anchored itself to the side of the cup and isn't moving. It's turning more brown and I can't see the vein pulsating down its back like I could yesterday. I hope that's a good sign!

 

[Aurelia]

Let us know when it pupates

It turned into a pupa last night. ^_^