Are these catapillers

[Tonystandman]

Are they ok for chameleon to eat, there eating my garden

 

[xephyr17]

It's not normally recommended to feed insects from your garden... Do you use organic soil or grow tomatoes?

 

[pigglett79]

http://switchzoo.com/profiles/blackswallowtail.htm

 

[ridgebax1]

This is the larval stage of the black swallowtail butterfly; which is absolutely gorgeous. According to the literature all swallowtail caterpillars secrete a bad tasting and smelling substance from a special gland. I don't think it makes them poisonous per se but I would not feed this to my chameleon.

 

[bobcochran]

Be leery of any brightly colored bugs they usually have some defense mechanism to prevent them from getting eaten. The bright colors are to alert potential predators of poison, stinging or bad tasting bugs.

 

[SSimsswiSS]

they usually have some defense mechanism to prevent them from getting eaten.

And it's a musky scented spray from their orange horns. But could be a possible meal, given their host plant.

 

[xephyr17]

I think those are fine to feed so long as they don't eat anything poisonous like tomato plant leaves which is why I ask.

I've actually fed my chams hornworm butterflies before. They liked them

 

[ridgebax1]

I never got moths from hornworms but I did feed off my silkworm moths. Only Omar was big enough to eat them but he liked them. He also liked the black soldier flies too. It is important to know that many of the adult forms of the caterpillars (and other bugs) are not as nutritious as the larvae because some of them do not eat and only live for sex! Black soldier flies have no mouth parts and silkworm moths do not eat. Not sure about hornworm moths. I think they do eat nectar because they need hummingbird feeders after they metamorphose.

 

[Tonystandman]

Thanks, the group ate my huge parsley plant, I just want to know if they were bad, if they don't taste good then I guess they will hatch in my cages!