question

[Chuck Vaughn]

>I have caterpillars on some fennel I am growing.  This is the third bunch. 
>I teach school and would love to take these marvelous creatures and let my
>students watch them metamorphosize.  Would I damage them if I did this and
>what else besides the fennel could I feed them?  What would be the safest
>way to do this and ensure their safety and survival?   I believe they are
>either Tiger Swallowtail or Black Swallowtail.  The caterpillar is yellow
>and black striped and gets about 1.5 inches long.  They are voracious
>eaters.  They have orange antenna looking things that poke out if you touch
>them.

What part of the country do you live in? This list goes around the world 
and we need to know where you are. I see a couple answers say they are Black Swallowtails. I live in California and my answer is Anise Swallowtails.
I've beem raising Anise Swallowtails caterpillars all summer that I've found
on my fennel.

Fennel keeps for a long time when cut and placed in water so just cut some
of that and bring it class. When the cuttings start to turn yellow cut some
fresh to replace it.

Chuck Vaughn <aa6g at aa6g.org>