Emerged Anise Swallowtail Chrysalises and Hatched European Mantis Egg Cases on a Fence

Today as we were on the Ohlone Greenway (Albany, CA) picking pine (Pinus), we found some emerged Anise Swallowtail chrysalises (Papilio zelicaon) and hatched European Mantis (Mantis religiosa) oothecae along a fence.

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Alas, it seems more often than not we find things a season too late. Most species of any insect diapause some time in the fall to spring -- pretty much any time but June to August which is when we have the free time to search for them as we are not in school! 

Today, without any intention of finding them, we stepped upon five emerged Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) chrysalises attached along a wooden fence that stretched along the path of the Ohlone Greenway. Near the fence, there are various landscaping trees growing such as pine (Pinus), though there were some native growing American Plum (Prunus americana) trees mixed in. We had previously found Western Tiger Swallowtails (Papilio rutulus) chrysalises attached on a wooden fence in a similar location along the rim of the fence. So perhaps it wasn't too much of a surprise that we found the five emerged Anise chrysalises on the Ohlone Greenway fence, though it was puzzling to us that they were located in a place without any potential host nearby. Of course, the caterpillars sometimes wander quite a distance from their host tree in order to find a suitable location to pupate, but all five of the chrysalises were located very close to each other (some were right next to each other, in fact) which can hardly be a coincidence. We searched for some time our the area, but found no other chrysalises except these. Most likely, we predict that there used to be sweet fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) growing along the path at some point, but they were removed. 

Along the same fence, though maybe a block away from the chrysalises, we found four European Mantis (Mantis religiosa) egg cases distanced a few feet from each other. If we were to guess, we'd probably say they came from only two or three females since it is hard to imagine how so many of them found this one spot! Like the chrysalises, two were attached in the corner near the top of the fence formed by the rim; the other two were in a crack formed by two parallel rims.

Both the chrysalises and egg cases were located in the same kind of location as the chrysalises and egg cases that we found on our own fence at home and as the fence at Albany Middle School, clearly indicating some sort of preference. If we were to look for their live counterparts later this year, perhaps in September or October, we will certainly keep this in mind and look at these places. ​

Update 8/18: We found a ton of emerged cocoons of some tiger moth (Arctia) on the fence behind a plum tree. At least two were parasitized with the emerged tachinid fly puparium still there!

- Brian