|
|
Harris's Three Spot Caterpillar
(09/04/2007) Help!
I failed to mention earlier that we're in Greensboro, NC and
the little guys are over 2 inches long. This caterpillar,
yes, that is a caterpillar, is eating my fringe tree which
is very small and can't take much more! there are five of
these and I don't want to kill them if they are going to turn
into some lovely butterfly or moth.... it's head is to the
right, with the three hairy brown balls hanging off of it....lower
left is its back end.
Melissa
Hi Melissa,
Probably 15 letters will go unanswered because we spent so
much time trying to identify your bizarre caterpillar. We
were relatively sure it was an Owlet Moth in the family Noctuidae,
one of the largest moth families. We scoured BugGuide
until we located Harris's Three Spot, Harrisimemna trisignata.
The hairy balls are actually "old dry head capsules shed by
the earlier instars!" The adults are a very lovely moth, also
pictured on BugGuide.
Cecrops
Eyed Silkmoth Caterpillar
(09/04/2007) Stinging Rose I believe
Hello!
My name is David Donaldson, I am a nature photographer and
recently I was backpacking through the woods of the
near Flagstaff, AZ when I came across this little thing on
the ground. Could you possibly let me know if my assumption
on it being a version of the stinging rose. Thanks for your
time!
Dave Donaldson
Hi Dave,
We have gotten four requests for identifications of similar
caterpillars from Arizona in the past week. They were all
members of the genus Automeris, but there are at least four
species found in Arizona. Your caterpillar is the only one
we can identify for certain. This is a Cecrops Eyed Silkmoth
Caterpillar, Automeris cecrops. It matches an image on the
Butterflies
and Moths of North America website.
NOT
Luna Moth Caterpillar but Polyphemus Moth Caterpillar
(09/03/2007) Luna moth larva this far north?
Hello Bugman...
You have a wonderful site here and I'm hoping you can help
with identifying a bug for me. It is about 2 1/2 inches
long and as thick as well... my thumb comes to mind but a
tube of lipstick is about right. I discovered a very large
caterpillar marching across my front lawn this afternoon.
(September 3 2007) I took about 25 pictures of it and came
to the conclusion it is a luna moth larva....BUT I cannot
find anywhere that they live this far north. I live in central
British Columbia, Canada. Prince George, to be precise. I
found that they eat paper birch so I deposited it there. Now
don't get me wrong, I love my paper birch but it looked like
it needed a tree and had it succeeded in getting over to
the neighbors it probably wouldn't have made it to the end
of its already, too short, natural life. Long story short....
it seems to be spinning a cocoon. I'd like to see the results
and take a bunch of pictures. How can I do that without buying
the bird cage? Also, will this larva live inside the cocoon
all winter? Even if it's -25 or -35 celsius and has a mountain
of snow heaped on it for 5 months? Maybe I will buy the
cage.... I have bird feeders out but that's no guarantee they
won't eat the big green bug. I'll attach a couple of
pictures (I resized them to 1/3rd their original size) and
maybe you'll be able to identify it as something other than
a Luna. (I really hope it is a Luna and that I'll get to see
the final results next spring) Thanks in advance for
your expertise. Sincerely;
Heather
Hi Heather,
This is a Luna Moth Caterpillar and they do live in the extreme
North. They spin a cocoon around a dried leaf and pupage inside.
The leaf remains on the ground among leaf litter. The blanket
of snow actually helps keep the pupa from freezins as it acts
as insulation with the decaying leaves providing additional
heat.
Correction(09/04/2007) "luna" from BC, damsel
drowning
A couple of questions regarding recent postings: Are you
certain the Luna Moth caterpillar from British Columbia is
in fact a Luna? I've raised Polyphemus for a number of years,
and it sure looks like a "Poly" to me. The white bars on
the sides are key. As for the damselfly drowning during
mating, it seems to me I've read the males sometimes do this
to prevent other males from mating with "their" females.
Anything to that? Cheers!
Don Dinndorf
St. Augusta, MN
Thanks Don,
We stand corrected.
Hickory Horned Devil: Third Instar
(09/03/2007) Hickory Horned Devil Variation?
Greetings,
I found this little beauty while walking around our farm on
a photography stroll. The reddish/plum color caterpillar
was on a sweetgum. I've looked around the .net and found
no specimens that looked like this one....excpet for the Hickory
Horned Devil. Could not find one unless it was green
in color, but the markings and the horns were almost identical
on some of the photographs I saw. Photo taken on September
3, 2007
Jose
Hi Jose,
This is a Hickory Horned Devil in its third instar. Caterpillars
go through five instars as they grow, each time shedding their
skin and changing appearance. In some species the change is
quite dramatic. In two more molts, your specimen will be much
larger and have the characteristic blue green coloration with
red horns of the fifth instar, fully grown Hickory Horned
Devil. BugGuide
has a nice series of images from egg to final instar.
Parasitized Cecropia Caterpillar
(09/02/2007) Large green caterpillar
Hi,
I just found this large catterpillar hanging from a tree and
was wondering what it was. I found it hanging in what I think
was a eurpean buckthorn tree in the Oak Ridge's Morraine,
Clarington, Ontario, Canada. It was at the edge of a forest
with bitternut hickory trees, swamp oak, white oak, red oak,
pines, maple, silver birch, butternut, hawthorn, yellow beech
and a wide variety of plants. I'm curious about what it is
and will turn into! It seems to be quite close to changing
into a chrysalis, it was hanging upside down and not moving
when I found it. It's very inactive.
Stella
Hi Stella,
The good news is we can identify your Cecropia Moth Caterpillar.
The bad news is that it will not live to adulthood. The orange,
yellow and blue tubercles are typical caterpillar markings,
but the white nodules with the brown spots are a sign the
caterpillar has been parasitized, probably by a Brachonid
Wasp. These pupa look much smaller than the Brachonid Pupa
we sometimes see on Sphingidae caterpillars and Saddleback
Caterpillars, so they must be a different species. We will
try to contact Bill Oehlke to see if he can tell us what species
of Brachonid parasitizes Cecropia Caterpillars.
Correction:
Pine Devil
(09/01/2007) can you identify ?
About 3 inches found in my backyard. Reddish brown thick.
Six horns in front and one at end.Thank you P.S I looked everywhere
online and couldn't find it. We live in North Carolina
We are guessing that this Hickory Horned Devil is brown
instead of the usual blue-green color because it is ready
for pupation.
Correction (09/02/2007) Misidentification
Hey there,
I was cruising your site and noticed that you had misidentified
a prepupal caterpillar posted on 9/1/07. You identified it
as C.regalis that was brown because it was ready to pupate.
C. regalis turn an aqua color when prepupal, but there is
another Citheronia species in the area, C. sepulcralis . This
the prepupal larva of the Pine Devil Moth. Its coloration
and markings, or lack thereof, are right and the species becomes
increasingly more common towards the south-east where they
can have 2 or more broods per year. I hope that this info
helps anyone else that might come across a Pine Devil on one
of their pine trees or in search of a suitable pupation site
that might consider it a Hickory Horned Devil. Cheers,
Josh
Imperial
Moth Caterpillar
(09/01/2007) Imperial Moth Caterpillar
Hello, Bugman,
We were called to retrieve this charming fellow from someone's
yard. I had never seen an imperial moth caterpillar
in real life before (I believe we're at the very edge of the
range), and was shocked at how enormous it was. My mother
isn't a fan of bugs, and refers to the critter as "the
crawling turd," and is fascinated by its "Predator-like
butt. I've placed the caterpillar in a container (12x6x12")
with a bunch of loose dirt. At the moment, it's just
wandering around, but I'm hoping it will burrow down and pupate
soon. I guess I'll have to wait a few months to get
picture of the adult, barring infestation by tachinid maggots.
Regards!
Emily
Hi Emily,
Thank you for sending your photo of the Imperial Moth Caterpillar
acompanied by you mother's colorful description.
Saddleback Caterpillar
(08/31/2007) caterpillar that stings
I found this bug on my blueberry bushes and it stung me.
I thought it was stinging nettles but on closer look found
this bug. What's that bug?
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
This is a Saddleback Caterpillar and yes, it does sting.
Unknown Caterpillar: Automeris species
(08/30/2007) Hi
I hope you can help me...I found this caterpillar on my back
porch in Prescott AZ. I am about a mile in altitude in the
"high desert west". I think it fell from some trees
with that green material in the picture. I can't figure out
what it is. I am guessing it would sting me. Thank You,
Craig
Hi Craig,
This is some species of caterpillar in the genus Automeris.
These are giant silkmoths. There are several possible species
in Arizona, but none seem to match exactly. They include Randa's
eyed silkmoth or Automeris
randa, and Cecrops eyed silkmoth or Automeris
cecrops. A nearly identical image is posted to BugGuide
with the possible identification being Automeris boudinotiana.
Moths in the genus Automeris are known as the Eyed Silkmoths
and some species have very localized populations. Automeris
caterpillars do have stinging spines.
Giant
Swallowtail Metamorphosis
(08/30/2007) Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) developmental
series
Hi Lisa Anne and Daniel,
Glad to see that you are keeping up your great work with your
website. Last year I submitted some picture series about the
development of butterflies. This year I would like to share
my Giant Swallowtail shots with you.
 
I found 6 caterpillars on Prickley Ash during the summer in
Wisconsin, and breeding this species is a wonderful experience.
My girlfriend Megan will be delighted to see "her"
caterpillar on your page, which she got as a present from
me to encourage her slightly increasing interested in bugs.
Keep up the great job! Best wishes from Madison/Wisconsin,
Thomas Werner
 
Hi Thomas,
Thanks for sending us your wonderful Giant Swallowtail metamorphosis
images.
Sycamore Moth Caterpillar
(08/29/2007) Peculiar Hairy Orange Caterpillar Found in Belgium
Hello dear bugsir,
Recently, my parents witnessed a peculiar orange caterpillar
falling from out of the tree in our garden, right here in
Kapellen, province of Antwerp, in Belgium, and they took some
pictures of it. I would like to apologize for the bad, blurry,
unclear quality of 3 of those pictures, since my parents aren't
professional photographers (they aren't even amateurs ...).
The only clear one is the last one (and it almost can be used
as a decent wallpaper!). I was very intrigued when i looked
at those pictures, because here in Belgium, our insects dont
look that colourful, or exotic. It does seem very out of place
here. I've tried searching some sites (i even looked at all
of the caterpillar pictures on your site) but no info came
up about this species. I really want to know what type of
caterpillar it is, and if those hairs are venomous or not,
because i have a little phobia of caterpillars. So if i walk
under under tree and this beast falls in my neck, i really
want to know its name and what effect those hairs give, before
i start to run off and scream like a girl. Regards,
Bart from Belgium
Hi Bart from Belgium,
We did identify this species of Punk Rock Caterpillar in August
2006. It is on our caterpillar 6 page. It is a Sycamore Moth
Caterpillar, Acronicta aceris. Sadly, the link to the UK website
where we originally identified it is no longer active.
Buckeye Caterpillar
(08/29/2007) found another caterpillar
We are having a ball finding caterpillars in the flower garden
and watching them transform. It's been a great educational
experience for all of us and my four year old is very fascinated
at the entire process. She name them all "Leah".
Anyway, I again searched all 10 caterpillar pages and was
unable to locate our newest find. Could you please help.
Thanks
Mitzi
Hi Mitzi,
This catepillar is one of the Nymphalidae or Brush Footed
Butterflies. We are nearly positive it is the Common Buckeye,
Junonia coenia. According to BugGuide,
the caterpillar host plants include: "Plants from the snapdragon
family including snapdragon ( Antirrhinum ), toadflax ( Linaria
), and Gerardia ; the plantain family including plantains
( Plantago ); and the acanthus family including ruellia (
Ruellia nodiflora ). "
Gulf
Fritillary Caterpillar
(08/28/2007) Gulf Fritallary?
Hooray!
I’m excited to have made my first bug discovery which
I believe is a Gulf Fritallary. Saw the other postings on
this caterpillar, but I’d love to find out some more
about it to share with my kids (they were just as excited
to discover it).
Armando, Los Angeles.
Hi Armando,
Once you have a name, it is remarkably easy to locate information
on the internet. This Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar, Agraulis
vanillae, feeds on passionflower vine and will metamorphose
into a lovely orange butterfly with silver spots on the underwings.
Hickory Horned Devil: What's That Bug? "is much better
than playing Playstation"!!!
(08/28/2007) Huge, Crazy Looking Caterpillar
Hi there,
Perhaps you can help. My son and I found this on Sunday, August
26, at a park in Irwin, Pennsyvlania. We almost stepped on
this thing. We look for bugs all the time and have never seen
anything like this. We did not keep it nor touch it. Do you
know what it is? Sincerely,
Amy Vandermer and Mason (age 7)
Hickory Horned Devil
Ed. Note: Since we don't have the time to
post every submission that is sent our way, we sometimes just
make a quick reply (see above). In this case, posting two
additional images of Hickory Horned Devils in the past 24
hours prompted our decision not to post this letter. Then
we got the following response, which is so endearing, that
we rescued the original letter and photograph from the trash.
Thanks so much! Your Site is Awesome!
Thanks so much. We actually spent the rest of the evening
on your website and found what the answer was. My son was
so excited about your site after baseball all he wanted to
do was look at bugs and drawn his own pictures. You might
be happy to know that a 7 year old, second grader actually
said . . . . . . "this is so much better than playing Playstation!"
. . . his last words before bed were "after school tomorrow
I'm coming straight home to identify more bugs!" You guys
are awesome!
Amy
Tersa Sphinx Caterpillar
(08/28/2007) crazy!
While taking care of my flowers in my landscaping, I spotted a
creature about 1 inch from my hand-scared me to death because
I thought it was a snake. I realized it was only
about 3-4 inches long. It also has this thorn thing
sticking out of the lower end of its body. The
next day, I saw another weird creature in my landscaping
and grabbed my camera. I did not think that it was the
same type of creature because the first had a head just like
a snake but this creature has a long snout. After watching
it and taking several pictures, I pushed it along with a wire
piece and it decreased in size and then looked just like the
creature I thought was a snake. What is this thing???
OK, I found it....I feel very silly, but the first one I saw
was brown. I am sending my pictures anyways......
Monica Lain
Hi Monica,
Many caterpillars, your Tersa Sphinx Caterpillar included,
have markings that resemble eyes. This is a protection against
birds and other predators who might be startled by a "snake".
Smeared Dagger Moth Caterpillar
(08/27/2007) Smeared Dagger Moth Caterpillar
Fellow bug fans,
My kids and I have used your site to identify dozens of insects
over the past few years. Your site is always the first
place we go when our paper guidebooks fail us. Once
again you've come through for us in identifying what we believe
to be a Smeared Dagger Moth caterpillar (Acronicta Oblinita).
We found this one feeding on marsh grass along the shore
of Jug Bay on the Patuxent River in Maryland. You have
a couple pictures of them, but we thought you might like another.
Thanks for a wonderful website!
Ned
Hi Ned,
We love hearing from people who have the patience to plow
through our archives and successfully identify their unknown
invertebrate discoveries. Your identification of the Smeared
Dagger Moth, Acronicta oblinita, is on the money.
Hickory Horned Devil
(08/27/2007) what is this?
Hey Bugman! My daughter and I saw this bug/worm (pic enclosed).
Thought it may be a tomato bug but much larger than I've ever
seen and what about the horns? Hope you can help. Thanks,
Brent Connors
Hi Brent,
The fierce looking but harmless Hickory Horned Devil is generally
regarded as North America's largest caterpillar. It has probably
come down from the trees where it has been feeding so it can
burrow into the ground to pupate, the next step in its metamorphosis
into the lovely Royal Walnut Moth. We have had readers say
the Hickory Horned Devil resembles a Chinese Dragon.
Hickory
Horned Devil
(08/26/2007) Can you help?
Hi. Please see attached photo. We found it in our woods and
we have never seen anything like it. We were wondering
if you could identify him and let us know what he will become.
Its almost as big as my husband's hand! Not sure what tree
it was on. We have a lot of sweetgum and poplar. Thanks so
much for your help.
Jennifer Poggemann
Southeastern Indiana
Hi Jennifer,
This is a Hickory Horned Devil Caterpillar. Several weeks
ago we commented that we expected to see more requests for
their identification this year because of the large numbers
of adult moth images, the Royal Walnut Moth.
Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar
(08/25/2007) slug?
My daughter found this creature crawling on a rotting stick
in the woods in Southwest Missouri. We initially thought
it was a caterpillar, but see that it moves like a slug or
snail. It also appears to have antennae at the front
like a slug, but similar protrusions all along its body.
Are the white things on its back eggs, or perhaps parasites?
It is approximately 3/4 inch long.
This is one of the Slug Caterpillars in the family Limacodidae.
We believe it is a Spiny Oak Slug, Euclea delphinii. The "eggs"
are really Brachonid Pupa, a parasite that feeds on the caterpillar's
inner tissues.
Unicorn Caterpillars
(08/25/2007) Found on a rose leaf
I found several of these caterpillars on my rose bush and
I can not find any info on it. can you help?
Ann
Hi Ann,
These are a type of Prominent Moth Caterpillar known as the
Unicorn Caterpillar, Schizura unicornis. BugGuide
lists many food plants, including apple (related to rose),
willow, alder, hickory, aspen, birch and elm.
White Lined Sphinx Caterpillar Invasion
(08/25/2007) caterpillar
Hi, I'm Kayla from Flagstaff, Arizona. This morning my mom
discovered these caterpillars, and we're rather disturbed
by them because we've picked up at least 560 of them, and
still have more. I was wondering what kind of caterpillars
these are, and how we could have gotten so many in a very
short time. What should we do with all of them? Thanks.
Kayla
Hi Kayla,
These are White Lined Sphinx Caterpillars, Hyles lineata.
Yours is the third letter in a week from Arizona that mentions
huge numbers of these caterpillars. This is a common desert
species and every few years there is a population explosion.
These are edible caterpillars, but should you choose not to
eat them, they will provide a sumptuous feast for birds and
other insectivores.
Variegated Fritillary Caterpillar
(08/24/2007) is this a buckeye caterpillar?
Hi!
I'm trying to figure out if this is a buckeye caterpillar
or not. Thanks for you time,
Carmen Kirby
Hi Carmen,
This is an exact match to a Variegated Fritillary Caterpillar
posted on BugGuide.
Great Ash Sphinx Caterpillar
(08/23/2007) Leaning toward carnage.....
Dear What's that Bug?
First let me say I adore your site, I have used it to identify
many a creature in and around my home and there are more than
a few spiders that own there lives to you and your unnecessary
carnage pages. Talk about guilt bombs, more about that later.
I purchase a lilac bush for my husband this year, he mentioned
that they had a bush near his home when he was a kid and he
loves the sent of the flowers. Earlier this month these
worms or caterpillars showed up on the stems of that bush
eating the leaves. When I first noticed them they were about
an inch and a half in length and doing minimal damage. Now
they are almost 4" long and are destroying the little
bush. I have been trying for days to identify them and find
out if I can move them to an alternate food source. As I mentioned
they are almost 4" long without the horn. They have a
voracious appetite and appeared on a Lilac bush in Mid
August in Lake Lure, NC,. They most resemble a Sphinx Moth
caterpillar to me, They have seven pairs of oblique blue gray
stripes, but, lack the white nodules all over the thorax,
they do have light green to yellow spikes on the top of the
head? But not the underside. The horn is light green, not
dark green or red. I don't think it is a Tobacco or Tomato
horn worm larva but then I have seen a number of what seemed
to be Tobacco or Tomato Horn worms that were ID'ed as Sphinx
Moth Caterpillars and vice versa so I am a little confused.
I have attached some pictures. The first is just something
I found interesting. I had taken some pictures in the morning
of the 20th and by mid afternoon the greenies were significantly
reduced in size. You can see the difference in the first and
second picture. I believe it was because it we were having
record high temperatures and have had little rain, I think
they just lost a lot of fluid. I am considering a quick and
painless execution if they do anymore damage. The execution
is scheduled for Sunset on the evening of August the 24th,
they seem to do the most damage during the night and I don't
think the Lilac can take anymore than that. I know you are
busy and that you may not be able to get back to me in time
to save either, but thank you for your time just the same.
Dani Whipple
Hi Dani,
First we want to say that the damage done by caterpillars
to deciduous trees is not permanent as new leaves will grow
back. This is some type of Sphinx Moth Caterpillar, and we
are relatively certain it is the Great Ash Sphinx, Sphinx
chersis. Larval host plants include " ash, lilac, privet,
cherry, and quaking aspen" according to Bill Oehlke. We hope
we have convinced you to stay the execution.
Update: (08/24/2007) Carnage averted!
The execution has been called off. I woke up this morning
and the caterpillars eating the lilac bush were gone! The
plant is in a pot on the deck so I don't know where they went,
it does not appear that they burrowed. It's as if they sensed
my evil plan ( like I would have killed them) and scattered.
There is very little of the lilac left, I hope it recovers.
I would still like to know what they were for certain.. Thanks
again.
Dani Whipple
Hickory
Horned Devil: Early instars
(08/22/2007) Hickory Horned Devil
Hey,
I've found your site to be a wealth of knowlege and information,
which is a nice resource since i want to be an entomologist.
Anyway, a friend of mine found an adult regalis at a
light in mid-July in Maryland which laid eggs.
I asked for a couple larvae when they hatched and she gave
me 8 healthy 1st instar caterpillars on sweetgum. They
of course grew, but i lost 4 while they were shedding into
the next instar. Is this common with regalis? So i have
four left, 1 third instar, 2 third about to shed into fourth,
and 1 fourth instar. I also switched them from sweetgum
to norway maple when they became third instars for convenience
reasons. They LOVE it. I thought that you would
like some pics of the larvae. I was also fortunate enough
to land a female luna on August 10th. I have about 100
beautiful first instar larvae which i have feeding on my poor
sweetgum sapling. I'll send some pics of them when they
get big enough.
Josh
 
Hi Josh,
Sorry that we cannot provide mortality rate information on
Hickory Horned Devils. Thank you so much for providing images
of early instar caterpillars for our site.
Lobster Moth Caterpillar from Japan
(08/21/2007) Lobstermoth caterpillar pictures!
My house has a guest! Well, this one is living outside.
When I found him (or her) clinging to my son's shoelace, I
put him in a box and took him to the Butterfly House.
The lady at admitting, after peeling herself nervously off
the wall, pointed me to the next building over where they
concentrate on such lovely natural wildlife. Of course, I
already knew I was holding a Lobstermoth Caterpillar.
What I didn't know was what this fellow ate, and what it's
known as here in Northern Japan. They're called Shachihokoga.
Ga meaning moth, and Shachihoko being those fish-shaped gargoyles
adorning the roofs of some houses. ... The pictures
were snapped by a nice fellow at the nature center who has
a camera that can macro. Someday I'll have one.
Or learn to use one... or both. He told me they eat
chestnut, acorn and other such leaves. Really?
Jill Sylvan
Hi Jill,
The crazy looking Lobster Moth Caterpillar, can be found throughout
Europe, and in parts of temperate Asia including Korea and
China as well as Japan. The range information was located
on what we believe to be a Scandinavian
website.
White
Lined Sphinx Caterpillar
(08/20/2007) What is this?
Hi there,
I'm attaching a photo of what I would think is a hornworm,
but I haven't found any photos anywhere of this caterpillar.
They showed up 3 days ago, overnight, and they are everywhere!
In the garden, the driveway, the lawn, backyard... they are
even climbing the stucco walls of my home. Help!
I've been scooping them into 5 gallon buckets... what
else can I do? I live in Sedona, Az. Thanks,
Norma
Hi Norma,
There are at least three distinct color variations of the
White Lined Sphinx Caterpillar, Hyles lineata, and this is
one of them.
American Dagger Moth Caterpillar
(08/20/2007) Hi I found this catipillar on my porch. Can you
tell me what it is and what to feed it? from,
Hank
Hi Hank,
According to BugGuide,
the American Dagger Moth Caterpillar, Acronicta americana,
feeds " on leaves of alder, ash, birch, elm, hickory, maple,
oak, poplar, walnut, willow and other deciduous trees "
Oleander Caterpillar: Do Not Eat Them until there
is a detailed study of toxicity
(08/19/2007) they are everywhere!
Hi! We just moved into this house and we have these orange
catepillars, with black tufts of hair crawling everywhere
on our house. We have searched and cannot figure out
what type they are, what they eat, etc... Their cocoons
are black and thin because you can see straight through them.
We believe that they turn into a black moth with white spots,
with an orange butt. Are these poisonous? Please what can
you tell us about them. They already had one set of
caterpillars that cocooned and now we have a second set. Thank
you,
Shereen
Hi Shereen,
This is an Oleander Caterpillar, Syntomeida epilais, which,
as you know, matures into the Polka Dot Wasp Moth. They are
probably feeding on your oleander plants, a flowering shrub
that might be more likely to harm your children than these
caterpillars are. Oleander
contains Neriin, Oleondroside and Oleandrin and ingestion
of leaves or stems of oleander can be deadly. Reportedly,
even a single leaf might cause death. While oleander is a
deadly poison for mammals, the Oleander Caterpillars are not
affected. Quite possibly they store the poisons in their bodies
and this might protect them. We do not recommend eating the
caterpillars nor the adult moths.
Spotted Apatelodes Caterpillar
(08/19/2007) mystery caterpillar
I spotted this caterpillar on the underside of a leaf in the
woods in central Kentucky. It was about three inches
long. You can see some stripes under all the "fur"
if you look closely. If you can help me identify it,
I would really appreciate it. I teach biology at George
Rogers Clark High School in Winchester, KY. Thanks,
Catherine Underwood
Lexington, KY
Hi Catherine,
We are suckers when a querent pulls the teacher card on us.
Your caterpillar superficially resembles the American Dagger
Moth, Acronicta americana, which can be viewed on BugGuide.
The true identity of your caterpillar is the larva of the
Spotted Apatelodes, Apatelodes torrefacta, which can also
be viewed on BugGuide.
First Devil of the Season: Hickory Horned Devil
(08/18/2007) hhd
I noticed several instances of people reporting Royal Walnut
Moths (including a Steve, a Stephanie, and another person
from Louisville--what does this tell us?!). I stumbled across
the larval form yesterday in Louisville.
Another Steve in Louisville
Hi Steve,
This is our first Hickory Horned Devil image this year, but
we expect many more submissions come September.
Brachonid Parasitized Tobacco Hornworm
(08/18/2007) what kind of caterpiller is this ???????
i found this catapiller on a bell pepper plant in my yard
in jacksonville NC..was wondering what are the white things
on it and what type is it and does it turn into a butterfly??
julie - jacksonville nc
Hi Julie,
Your Tobacco Hornworm Caterpillar, Manduca sexta, has been
parasitized by a Brachonid Wasp that laid her eggs inside
the caterpillar. The larval wasps fed on non-vital tissues
and have now formed pupae of the surface of the caterpillar.
The pupae will hatch into adult wasps and the caterpillar
will die, never maturing into an adult Hawkmoth, the Carolina
Sphinx. According to BugGuide:
"Larva: large green body; dorsal "horn" (usually curved and
orange, pink or red) on terminal abdominal segment; up to
seven oblique whitish lateral lines, edged with black on upper
borders. The similar Tomato Hornworm, Maduca quinquemaculata,
has eight v-shaped stripes and a straight blue-black horn.
These caterpillars are often confused and misidentified."
Growing up, we referred to this as a Tomato Hornworm or Tomato
Bug. We have received numerous images of Brachonid parasitized
caterpillars recently, and are posting your letter and image
as an excellent example.
Monarch Project: Caterpillar, Crysalids, and Butterfly
(08/18/2007) Monarch Project
Dear Bugman,
I thought I'd share with you this photo of my 6-year-old grandson's
butterfly project. The monarch emerged this morning
from the first of 46 chrysalises (with more to come). Thanks
for your great website!
Nancy Codere
Cumberland, ME
Hi Nancy,
We only wish your letter had included a more detailed description
of what the Monarch Project is. We are guessing your grandson
collected Monarch Caterpillars off of milkweed plants and
kept them in a cage to observe the metamorphosis.
Dear Daniel,
I thought I'd share with you this photo of my 6-year-old grandson's
butterfly project. He collects the caterpillars from a stand
of milkweed in back of our house and keeps them in a 10-gal.
terrarium with screen cover. Everyday 3 to 4 fresh milkweed
stalks are added as food. When the caterpillars are ready,
most crawl to the cover to begin their metamorphosis (an occasional
one will hang from a milkweed stalk and make his transformation
there). When a chrysalis turns black (it's actually clear
but the unborn butterfly's coloring shows through), we suspend
the screen cover from a hook on the ceiling to observe the
critter's emergence. The monarch in this picture emerged
this morning from the first of 46 chrysalises (with more to
come). Thanks for your great website!
Nancy Codere
Cumberland, ME
Mantis
eats American Dagger Moth Caterpillar
(08/16/2007) EATING Preying Mantis PIC AWESOME
Dear Bugman,
Our garden is always chock full of Preying Mantis'. It took
me three years, but I finally saw one eating something! Looks
like he caught some sort of caterpillar and was sucking out
the inners while holding him in his grasp. Quite an awesome
show, I must say!
Rich
Cincinnati, Ohio
Hi Rich,
We have been meaning to post your wonderful image for several
days, but we are constantly barraged by new emails and you
got lost in the shuffle. We believe this is a Chinese Mantid,
Tenodera aridifolia, but would welcome an expert opinion regarding
the identification. The caterpillar is an American Dagger
Moth Caterpillar.
NOT
Imperial Moth Eggs Hatch
(08/14/2007)
Well its only been about
4 hours since I took a photo of them and sent it. But
checking on them at lunch time gave us a surprise, they were
hatching. So I grabbed 4 or 5 different types of tree leaves
to put in the cage. Do they need water?? or is the leaves
enough. I really want the little guys to have a chance or
turning into those beautiful Imperial moths.
Karen Maier
PS let me know if u want any more photos as they grow or if
you have enough of that type. dont want to send any you cant
use.
Hi Karen,
These are not Imperial Moth caterpillars. We fear you misidentified
your original moth. BugGuide
has an image of a newly hatched Imperial Moth, and it does
not look at all like your caterpillars. We cannot identify
your specimen from this hatchling image. We suspect this is
still one of the Giant Silk Moths. If you describe the moth,
we may be able to identify it. It would be great if you could
take a photo at each stage of development, known as instars.
Each time a caterpillar molts, there is a new instar. There
are five instars before pupation. You caterpillars will fulfull
their water needs through the leaves they eat. Thank you for
noting in your photo title that the eggs hatched after four
days.
Sad Update
(08/16/2007)
Im sorry to say that all of our babies died. Im not sure why,
I gave them the leaves from the tree they came from and a
few others too. but they just sat around and didnt seem interested
in them. and by today they were all gone. I wish we could
of found out just what kind they were.
Karen
Saddleback Caterpillars
(08/13/2007)
Dear bugman,
We found four of these bugs in Southern New Jersey on August
13 on a Burning Bush (it was not actually on fire, thats the
name of the bush)! Whats that bug? Please reply if it is not
too much trouble!
Josh Gager & Lindsey Williams
Hi Josh and Lindsey
These are Saddleback Caterpillars, Sibine stimulea. Handle
with care since those are stinging spines that will cause
local irritation, but no lasting effects.
Monarch Caterpillar Metamorphosis and Tachinid Fly
Parasites
(08/12/2007) Monarch Bodysnatchers
Hello, Bugman,
I recently placed 2 large monarch caterpillars in an terrarium
with some milkweed, so I could watch them go through metamorphosis.
All was well... at first. One morning, I found one of
the caterpillars hanging from under a branch, as though ready
to pupate, but it was dead, shriveled, and and clear strands
hanging from it. There were two small, yellow maggots
in the tank, as well as a red pupa. After a bit of searching,
I found this site http://www.monarchlab.umn.edu
/research/PNE/creasey.aspx . Apparently, an introduced
tachinid fly, Lespesia archippivora, was brought over to control
cutworms, but attacks non-target species like monarchs as
well. Fortunately, the other caterpillar seems to have
dodged the bullet, and has formed a lovely chrysalis. Regards,
Emily
 |
 |
| Monarch
Caterpillar |
Monarch
Chrysalis |
Hi Emily,
Thank you for your wonderful letter, excellent photos, precise
documentation, and technical research. Though we approve of
biological control methods over pesticides, we always question
the introduction of biological agents before the total ramifications
of the actions are made apparent.
 |
 |
| Parasitized
Monarch Caterpillar |
Tachinid
Fly larvae and pupa |
Leafy
Spurge Hawkmoth Caterpillar
(08/11/2007) hornworm
Can you help me identify this beautiful hornworm ( I think)?
There were 3 of them in the woods in Calgary, Alberta
on a euphorbia plant. I couldn't find them on anything
else. I did search the links on your site and had no
luck. Thanks,
Ingrid Christensen
Hi Ingrid,
We do have other images of the Leafy Spurge Hawkmoth Caterpillar,
Hyles
euphorbiae, posted in our archives on our 10 caterpillar
pages. This species was introduced from Europe to help control
the spread of its food plant, the Leafy Spurge.
Polyphemus
Moth Caterpillar
(08/11/2007) Caterpillar
Hello,
Our daughter found this crawling in our backyard in Dripping
Springs, Texas (Central Texas). We thought it might
be a type of Luna Moth caterpillar...can you identify? Notice
the patch of blue (both sides). Thanks,
Chip and Nancy Beebe
Hi Chip and Nancy,
It is easy to confuse the Luna Moth Caterpillar with the Polyphemus
Moth Caterpillar. This is actually the Polyphemus Moth Caterpillar.
Imperial
Moth Caterpillar
(08/11/2007) what is this thing?
we saw this bug/caterpillar today near our pond. it seems
almost prehistoric. do you know what kind of caterpillar this
is or what it will become? thanks,
jj
Hi JJ,
We have identified so many adult Imperial Moths this year,
that it stands to reason we will be seeing plenty of Imperial
Moth Caterpillars as well. Your image is the first to arrive.
We currently have a photo of the adult Imperial Moth, Eacles
imperialis, on our homepage.
Four
Horned Sphinx Caterpillar
(08/11/2007) What is this
Hello.
I found this at the Road America race track in Elkhart WI.
It is about three inches long.
Thank you for your help.
Paul Gehrman
Hi Paul,
This is a Four Horned Sphinx Caterpillar, Ceratomia
amyntor. It is also known as the Elm Sphinx since the
caterpillar has a preference for elm tree leaves. They also
eat birch, basswood and cherry.
Viceroy
Caterpillar
(08/08/2007) Strange Caterpillar
Hello,
First of all I know you've heard this a million times
but I love your website, it is more encompassing than any
bug identification book. Anyway, I ran across this little
caterpillar today and don't know what it is, I would be thankful
if you could identify it for me. I may keep it and see what
it turns into if you can't. Its about an inch long and
was found on a wild willow tree near my pond. Thanks in advance.
Eric M.
Hi Eric,
Your caterpillar is most definitely in the genus Limenitis.
It is a dead ringer for a Viceroy Caterpillar image on BugGuide.
The Viceroy Butterfly is best known for being a mimic of the
Monarch. In human society, that would be termed an imposter.
Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar
(07/31/2007) Caterpillar
Hi Bugman,
We saw these caterpillars on Prince Edward Island (Canada)
recently & assumed they' be in our Audubon guides but
are not. Have just found your web-site and love it ! Can
you tell us what these are? Thanks.
Christine & Norman
Hi Christine and Norman,
Though your photo is blurry, this looks to us like a Cinnabar
Moth Caterpillar, Tyria jacobaeae. According to BugGuide:
"Introduced from Europe as a control for introduced weedy
Ragwort, the host plant for its caterpillars, which is toxic
to livestock." The interesting thing is that BugGuide only
reports this species from California, Oregon and Western Canada,
as does the Butterfies
and Moths of North America site. You might want to check
with your local department of agriculture to see if the species
has been introduced to your area.
Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar
(07/30/2007) help!!!!
Just happened on to your site a couple months ago, and have
been raving abt. it to anyone that will listen!!! Great
job and service you do. Now, for my bug, er, caterpillar...I
found him eating my butterfly weed the other day, and I'm
thinking he must be a pest. I brought one of the larvae
in when I first found it and it immmediately spun a cocoon...now
I'm wondering if I should get rid of it....can you tell me
what this is going to be? Thanks, in advance,
for your great service!
Pat, St. Louis
Hi Pat,
This is a Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar or Milkweed Tiger
Moth Caterpillar, Euchaetes egle. If the caterpillars are
plentiful, they may defoliate the host plant. The adult moth
has unmarked grey wings and yellow spots on the body.
Pandora Sphinx Caterpillar
(07/29/2007) caterpillar?
Hello! We live in Iowa and came across this bug yesterday
along a bike trail. Could you tell me what it is? Thank you!!
Elizabeth
 
Hi Elizabeth,
This is a Pandora Sphinx Caterpillar. Judging by the number
of adult moth photos we received this year, we expect your
photo to the the first of numerous requests for the caterpillar
identification this season. Grape is one of the food plants
for the larva and your specimen appears to be be feeding on
grape.
Stinging Caterpillar from Belize
(07/25/2007) caterpillar
Hello, Let me start by saying I love your website. I often
pull it up and browse through all the new bugs posted. I found
a caterpillar in Belize on a jungle hike. It was in the beginning
of July and the little guy, about an inch long, was on
the ground. I hope you can identify this caterpillar and tell
me what it will turn into. ... Thanks-
Amber
SLC, UT
Hi Amber,
Though we don't know the exact species of your caterpillar,
we can tell you it is a Stinging Caterpillar in the family
Limacodidae, the Slug Caterpillar Moths.
Hickory Horned Devil: Early Instar
(07/24/2007) Large spiny caterpillar with horns?
Hi
We found this in our back yard and were unable to find it
in any of our guide books. Then we searched online and found
nothing. Can you tell us what it is? More curious about what
it is going to be?? Thanks so much Sincerely
the Braun family in Fredericksburg Virginia
Hi Braun Family,
This is an early instar of the Hickory Horned Devil. What
it will be after a few more molts is North America's largest
and quite possibly most impressive caterpillar. It will become
a bright blue-green behemoth with red horns that resembles
a Chinese dragon. The adult moth is also quite striking. It
is known as the Royal Walnut Moth or Regal Moth, Citheronia
regalis.
American Lady Caterpillar
(07/23/2007) American Lady Caterpillar?
Hi,
I think I've identified this caterpillar from your site as
an American Lady (post from S. Texas, May 2007). The
description in my Peterson's Eastern Butterflies seems to
confirm it. They are feeding on licorice plant (Helichrysum
petiolare) in a window box outside our living room window
in Kansas City. We've planted Helichrysum many times,
but first time we've seen these caterpillars on them.
Can you confirm the ID as an American Lady for me? Great site!
Keep up the good work.
Brett
Hi Brett,
We concur that this is an American Lady Caterpillar, Vanessa
virginiensis, and it exactly matches an image on BugGuide.
Your high resolution, excellent quality photograph is a welcome
addition to our site. |
|
