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Cloudless Sulphur Chrysalis
(05/11/2008) Can you ID me?
Hi Bugman,
Can you please help me identify this "thing"....
I live in Coconut Creek, Florida and saw this on one
of my Jasmine plants that I recently brought home from the
nursery (bonus!!). I've searched the internet far and
wide but ... just haven't come across anything that looks
like this. Can you help ID me? Thanks so much!
Debi
PS - LOVE your website.
Hi Debi,
This is the Chrysalis of a large yellow butterfly known as
the Cloudless
Sulphur, Phoebis sennae, sometimes called the Senna Sulphur, though it might also be from
a close relative, the Orange
Barred Sulphur, Phoebis philea.
Eastern Tent Caterpillar
(05/08/2008) Eastern Tent Caterpillars
Here is a picture I took while hiking along the C&O canal
in Maryland. These things are EVERYWHERE and until I took
a look at your site, I thought they were Gypsy Moth Caterpillars.
My 4 year old son and I were at the National Zoo the other
day and while the elephants couldn't hold his attention, he
was facinated by these caterpillars inching along all over
the place. He then collected several and gently placed them
on his shirt and then proceeded to strut around the zoo covered
in them like some caterpillar tamer on Animal Planet. Alas,
I did not have my camera with me that day. Thanks for the
great site!
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
Thanks for your touching story. We have recently received
several images of individual Eastern Tent Caterpillars, Malacosoma
americanum, but we have not posted them. Your photo is a textbook
example for identification purposes.
Convict Caterpillar
(05/08/2008) What is it?
Location: Palm Bay, FL 32905
Date: May 6, 2008
Plant: perhaps a Spider Lily a clumping lump of bulbs
I have 7 of these guys now. Any idea what it is? Notice
the tiny 'hairs' on the body.
Sandy
Hi Sandy,
This was an easy identification for us because we just received
another photo of the Convict Caterpillar last week. The Convict
Caterpillar eventually becomes the lovely Spanish Moth, Xanthopastis
timais.
Chalcedon Checkerspot Caterpillar
(05/04/2008) Chalcedon Checkerspot caterpillar
Hi Lisa Anne and Daniel.
On 4/30 I found three of these caterpillars dining on Wyoming
Kittentails west of Casper, WY. After our subsequent
6" of global warming melted, I located 15 yesterday.
Hopefully a chrysalid photo will ensue. Peace, Love
and Jerry Garcia,
Dwaine
Hi Dwaine,
Thanks for keeping us up on current Wyoming Lepidoptera. The
inclusion of the penny is a nice indication of scale. The
Chalcedon Checkerspot represents a new caterpillar species
for our site.
Cecropia Moth Cocoon
(05/03/2008) Mystery Egg Sac(?) in Minnesota
Hello Bugman,
I live in Minneapolis, MN. A couple weeks ago I noticed
an egg sac (I think that is what it is) on a shrub branch
(I think its an ornamental Ribes/currant shrub) in our front
yard landscaping (see attached photo). I looked through
your website and it looks as if it may be a praying mantis
egg sac? I’d be curious what you think…thanks
for any light you can shed on our front yard mystery critters.
If it is a good critter, we want to watch it hatch.
If it is a bad (e.g., invasive) critter, we may want to destroy
or at least contain the hatchlings. Also, do you reply to
e-mails, or do we need to visit WTB website (and look where
for your response). Thanks!
Doug, Griffin & Eva
Hi Doug, Griffin and Eva,
We believe this is the Cocoon of a Cecropia Moth, but it is
also possibly the cocoon of the closely related Columbia Silk
Moth. Since we are only able to post a fraction of the letters
we receive, we often send short responses first. We don't
even have the time to answer personally every letter we receive,
but we try to answer as many as possible. Some questions are
so vague, or images so blurry, that we just ignore them. When
we post an answer, there is generally a more detailed response,
and we email that to the querant, but sometimes we forget.
In your case, you got a short answer originally, and now that
we are posting letters from May 3, yours included, you are
getting a second more detailed answer.
Convict Caterpillar is the caterpillar of the Spanish
Moth
(05/01/2008) Need help in south Alabama
Hello Mr. Bugman!
Our class is trying to find the name of the caterpillars that
I found. They were eating my Amaryllis and Paperwhite Lilies
underneath some shady oak trees in my front yard. I’ve
brought them to school and we have a butterfly habitat to
keep them in. Could you please help us identify our new class
pets and perhaps give us some advice on how to maintain their
habitat? We’ve searched quite a bit for the name/image
but have not been able to find an exact match. Thank
you!
Danielle Watson
Bay Minette Intermediate School
Bay Minette, Alabama
 
Hi Danielle,
Using some key words, we quickly located your Spanish Moth
Caterpillar, Xanthopastis timais, on a University
of Florida Website. Both the caterpillar and moth are
quite colorful and distinctive. BugGuide
has some wonderful images. The caterpillar is sometimes called
the Convict Caterpillar.
Unknown Arizona Caterpillar: Some species of Spanworm???
(04/27/2008) Unknown caterpillar - Flagstaff, AZ, U.S.A.
Hello,
I am hopeful that you'll be able to help me with the caterpillar
in the attached photos. These were taken on April 26, 2008
in my yard in Flagstaff, AZ, U.S. Flagstaff is in the mountains
of Arizona at an elevation of about 7000 feet (a bit over
2130 meters - I think). After perusing your letters on caterpillars
(I am amazed at your knowledge), I am wondering if it is an
early instar of a Parnassian species? However, my "Butterflies
of Arizona" does not list any Parnassians. And, while
the National Audubon "Field Guide to North American Butterflies"
does list a few, the descriptions of the caterpillars don't
seem to match. This particular caterpillar appears to be white
with black, longitudinal stripes, and yellow spots along the
sides. It was on a Penstemon, which is listed (in the Audubon
book) as a host plant for the Arachne Checkerspot, but the
caterpillar description doesn't seem to match up. I'm at a
bit of a loss ... Thank you for a wonderful site, and thank
you in advance for any assistance.
John Ellison,
Flagstaff, AZ, U.S.A
 
Hi John,
We have to come clean and say we just don't know for sure.
Based on the absence of most typical pairs of prolegs, we
believe this is a Spanworm or Inchworm in the family Geometridae,
but we cannot locate a good match on BugGuide.
Echo Moth Caterpillar
(04/26/2008) Help to ID Caterpillar
We’ve looked all through all 13 pages of caterpillars
on your awesome site, but could not find this one. We are
currently camping at Oscar Scherer State Park near Sarasota
, Fl and have seen several off these, mostly on the roads.
They’re about 2 inches long. Thanks,
John & Joan Willlis
Hi John and Joan,
We know our archives are a tangled mess, but if you visit
Caterpillars 11 from September 2007, you will find a photo
of an Echo Moth Caterpillar, Seirarctia echo. It is backlit,
so it looks different from your photo which is front lit.
You can find more on the Echo Moth on BugGuide.
All of the submissions to BugGuide are from Florida, but the
moth can also be found in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.
Monarch Caterpillar: Best Letter in a Long Time!!!
(04/23/2008) Lesson Learned in Florida
Last spring, I tried in vain to keep eight, young, butterfly
plants alive in my modest flower garden. "How wonderful
it would be to attract beautiful butterflies", I thought.
To my dismay, fat, yellow, aphids appeared by the dozens on
each little plant. They were herded by fire ants from
a nearby nest. For weeks, I squished aphids, always
marveling at the protectiveness of the ants and sheer numbers
of aphids they managed. While walking in the cattle
pasture one day, I saw an entire plant covered with aphids.
I was horrified that the source of these bugs was a weed that
had appeared in our pastures in record abundance, presumably
due to a long drought experienced here in northern Florida.
Since we raise natural beef cattle, I picked many of these
weeds by hand out of our pastures, but to my dismay, as I
picked them, their seed pods were already releasing fluffy
seeds for next year. This spring, the population of
these plants was even higher than last year! So, I began
picking these plants early this year, well before they could
complete their seed pods. I didn't get far before I
noticed a caterpillar on one of the plants. It was a
monarch! (See pictures below). I looked at my
hands and noticed the milky substance from the few plants
I had already picked. How ironic that I waged a (thankfully)
unsuccessful war against what turned out to be a milkweed
native to Florida because I wanted to save a few measly butterfly
plants! How completely human of me. Little did
I know that I had several hundred or more plants in the pastures
that were the perfect diet for the very creature I was seeking
to attract. I have learned my lesson and sworn off meddling
with milkweeds or anything else unless I know for certain
that it is a threat to native wildlife.
Alicia
Hi Alicia,
Thank you for writing one of the best letters we have received
in a long time. We are excited to post your photo of a Monarch
Caterpillar.
Glad you enjoyed it! I'm researching when these caterpillars
will complete their pupa stage and emerge as butterflies.
We plan to rotate the cattle in our other pastures until then
to keep the monarchs safe. We already made changes in our
livestock management to accommodate two other threatened species:
gopher tortoises and Sherman fox squirrels. Gratefully,
Alicia
Yellow Based Tussock Moth Caterpillar
(04/18/2008) Intimidating Fuzzy Caterpillar
Greetings, again. I wrote a couple of days ago in the
hopes of getting your expert opinion on my strange caterpillar.
I know you must get hundreds of queries, and I might never
hear from you, so I have continued my search for the identification
of this little beastie. After using this research project
as an effective procrastination device for all the stuff I
should be doing, I finally found a couple of other photos
of the same creature, one of which places it in the Tussock
Moth family (the other of which was just like me---asking
for ID). Upon researching Tussock Moths, I
am seeing other somewhat similar caterpillars, and many have
that same triangular body shape. But, I still cannot
find the full answer to the question. I'm not sure
why I am obsessed with this --- but I'd really like to know
what type of Tussock Moth it is, what it eats, what the adult
looks like, etc. Any help you can give would be much
appreciated. Your site continues to amaze and impress me.
Thanks for all your hard work!
Marita Beth
Arlington, TX
Marita Beth's earlier (ignored but not purposely)
email
(04/16/2008) Intimidating Fuzzy Caterpillar
Good Morning, Bugman: I love your website, and have used
it numerous times to help identify insects and creepy crawlies
that were unusual or foreign to me. This time, I have been
unable to find any pertinent information or similar photographs.
I am hesitant to write, because I know that if I have in fact
simply overlooked the matching photos and accompanying description
of my strange caterpillar, I will become yet another victim
of your biting, sarcastic wit---which I also love, by the
way. But, I guess I'm willing to risk it! :-) I have also
googled every combination of words that seemed appropriate
and come up empty-handed. I have even spent way too much
time---this stuff is fascinating!---looking through the photos
on BugGuide. Still no luck. This caterpillar, and a second
one just like it, were found yesterday, on our back patio,
while I was sweeping up the leaves and seeds that had blown
onto the concrete. It has been a fairly stormy and windy
week here in North Texas, so I suppose these fellas could
have come from somewhere farther afield than my own yard.
But, since we had a rather horrific spring last year, with
tent caterpillars decimating the trees in our area, I am wary,
and anxious for a positive ID on these critters. I've attached
the photo, and below is the link to my daily photo blog, where
the same furry fellow is my photo of the day. Thanks for your
help!
Marita Beth http://krmb.wordpress.com
Hi Marita Beth,
First we must apologize for not answering your original letter.
We are happy to see you have properly identified your caterpillar
as a Tussock Moth Caterpillar. We believe it is a Yellow-Based
Tussock Moth, Dasychira basiflava, as pictured on BugGuide.
Also according to BugGuide, the caterpillar feeds on the leaves
of "Larva feeds on oaks, also dogwood, blueberry." There is
a single image of an adult moth also on BugGuide.
More Regal Moth Pupae
(04/15/2008) You wanted C regalis pupae photos? :)
Hi Bugman,
Love your site. I'm sure your comment that you don't have
many HHD pupae will prompt a flood, so I'm adding to it. I
also have a couple of moths from Taiwan for ID I'm attaching:
1st: appears to be an Arctiid, tried searching with "clear
winged" / "Taiwan" and did not locate anything.
Location: Sun-Moon lake, Nantou county 2nd: attracted to lights
at ~ 3000 ft. Location: Nantou county Thanks for your thoughts.
Photos taken with Sony DSC-H2, auto, macro mode, cropped and
resized with Microsoft Paint.
Ray
Hi Ray,
Your letter is so funny. We were hardly deluged with photos
of Regal Moth or Royal Walnut Moth Pupae, but we did get two
submissions. Your photo is wonderful. We have been very busy
and are way behind in posting new submissions. We will try
to address your Arctiid questions in the future.
Regal Moth Pupa
(04/14/2008) a couple pictures of regal moth (Citheronia regalis)
pupa
Hi,
I knowticed on your site that you guys were "lacking"
images of the regal moth in its pupal stage. Well this past
summer I raised some of these guys and took some pictures
of the pupae. They'll be hatching in a few months aswell.
Enjoy
Ryan
 
Hi Ryan,
There is nothing like instant gratification. The ink was barely
dry on our request and your photos were in our mailbox. We
have been so busy it has taken a few days for us to post them
live. Thanks for sending your Regal Moth Pupa images.
Mourning Cloak Chrysalids
(04/13/2008) Can you identify this chrysalis?
I encountered four chrysalis hanging from the doorframe of
a storage shed (Altadena, California, USA--Los Angeles area).
Can you identify the species? 3 jpegs attached. Thanks,
Mike Hickman
Hi Mike,
These are Mourning Cloak butterfly chrysalids. There is a
great photo on BugGuide
of a group of chrysalids, but they were raised in captivity.
Locally, the caterpillars feed mainly on Chinese Elm and Willow.
Pipevine
Swallowtail Caterpillar
(04/13/2008) unknown caterpillar
I found this while clearing out a place on our acreage in
town. We live on the Texas Coast in the coastal plains, in
Calhoun County. There were three of them on a Chinese Tallow
branch that I trimmed. I couldn't find any damaged leaves
around them, so they may have just been on the move. I found
them on my oleander plant this morning, just "chillin."
Other plants nearby where I found them - dewberry, lantana,
Texas persimmon, poison ivy (I didn't get into that, don't
worry!) Mustang grapevine, tickseed, thistle, wild chives.
We have more but they are much farther away from the spot.
Hope you can help - my son and I are very curious. I couldn't
find them on BugGuide or What's That Bug. Thanks -
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
Searching our archives at What's That Bug?, as well as searching
the archives of our favorite identification site BugGuide
(and BugGuide is way more organized than we are), can be a
daunting task if you don't know exactly what you are searching
for. Both of our sites have numerous images of your species,
the Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar, Battus philenor. Interestingly,
none of the plants you mention are host plants for the caterpillar.
According to BugGuide:
"Larvae feed on Aristolochia species. These include 'Pipevine'
or 'Dutchman's Pipe', Aristolochia species ( tomentosa, durior,
reticulata, californica ), as well as Virginia Snakeroot,
Aristolochia serpentaria. Larvae presumably take up toxic
secondary compounds from their hostplant." Your photo indicates
this is probably the final instar for the caterpillar and
it is getting ready to metamorphose into a chrysalis. If that
is true, the caterpillars might be wandering away from the
plant that they were eating in search of the perfect location
for pupation.
Unknown Panamanian Caterpillar on Cashew Tree is Megalopyge
lanata
(04/05/2008) Panama caterpillar
This beautiful creature was photographed at Coiba National
Preserve in Panama, December 11, 2007, feasting on the leaves
of a cashew tree. I've been searching the web for two
days and have had no luck identifying it, except that it's
probably of the Arctiidae family. Can you help?
Amy Lowell
White Lake, MI
 
Hi Amy,
We cannot currently help you with an identification, but we
will post your image in the hopes that our readership can
assist. Identification of many tropical species can prove
very frustrating.
Update: (04/07/2008)
Thanks Dan. The caterpillar is Megalopyge lanata. The following
information is courtesy of Annette Aiello: "The caterpillar
is a clear case of Megalopyge lanata (Megalopygidae). Perhaps
the unnatural perspective (the photo appears to have been
taken in portrait view and later rotated to horizontal) made
it look to you as if there were more than the usual red verrucae.
As well, I suspect that the caterpillar had molted very recently
and perhaps had not yet eaten very much, so still was somewhat
condensed." If you've posted the photo already, you can add
its identification. I appreciate your help very much
Amy Lowell
Thanks for the update Amy. We found images of the adult
Megalopyge
lanata after you provided us with a name. We also located
a caterpillar image on a Smithsonian
Tropical Research Institute Photo of the Week website.
The caterpillar has stinging hairs.
Ficus
Sphinx Caterpillar: A Melodrama of Authorship!!!!!
(04/02/2008) Do you know what this caterpillar is?
Hi,
My preschool class found this caterpillar on our playgound
near the base of an oak tree. I have tried to find out what
it is, but I can not find a match for it. We would love to
know any information you can provide us about our newest classmate,
Greeny (The kids named it). Thank you
Kristina Ajoy and KinderCare Learning Center 1193 Preschool
class.
Orlando, Florida
While trying to substantiate our belief that this is a
Ficus Sphinx Caterpillar, Pachylia ficus, we were shocked
and dismayed to find the exact photomontage posted to BugGuide
in 2006 and credited to another photographer. Without trying
to pass judgement, we find ourselves wondering who the author
of these images is, the photographer with the BugGuide posting
from 2006, or preschool teacher Kristina Ajoy of the KinderCare
Learning Center 1193 Preschool class in 2008. It is surely
a mystery, and we also can't help but wonder if two people
can take identical images two years apart. Even more paradoxical
that they would both name the file with the identical name.
Coincidence or Plagiarism? You decide.
HI, I saw the reply to the image I sent regarding the caterpillar
my class and I found. I do not own a Digital camera so I did
use that image for a visual referance for you. I had no intention
of Plagiarism. It was a beautiful image the the caterpillar
and I thought it was help you identify it. I am sorry if the
use of the image has caused any problems, and I was not aware
that I need to add referances to images sent in. I am truly
sorry.
Kristina Ajoy
Thanks for the explanation Kristina,
If you borrowed the image from BugGuide, then we don't understand
why you needed an identification. Also, tryng to match a species
that you saw to another photo is not a guarantee that the
species will be correctly identified. We generally expect
that photos are sent to us by the originators of the images,
and we would normally not post an image that was taken from
another website. After spending about 20 minutes researching
your request, we felt it would have been a total waste of
our time to not post the image. We needed to make very clear
to our readership the ethical questions that posting a photo
credited to another website and photographer presented to
us.
Gaudy Sphinx Caterpillar
(03/31/2008)
Hi,
I have been scouring the internet trying to find out what
this creature is that we found. If you can help me with
identification, that would be great. If not, I would
appreciate anything you can tell me to lead me in the right
direction to find this information. What I can tell
you is that this creature was found in Hillsborough County,
Florida on a blackberry bush. It is approximately 2
- 3 inches in length. It appears to me that the bigger
end with the "eyes, nostrils and teeth" is not the
actual head, but the tail end. The other end with the
smaller triangular shape, appears to be the head. This
end latches onto the blackberry as if eating. This end
is the end that appears to direct movement. The circle
on the top of this "head" is interesting in that
it appears to blink or have some type of movement like a flicker
of a tongue or something. Thank you so much for your
time.
Michele Petys
Hi Michele,
The Gaudy Sphinx Moth Caterpillar is a very effective snake
mimic, which helps to deter birds.
Banded
Sphinx Caterpillar
(03/31/2008) Picture
Can you help with this caterpillar found in Beaumont, Texas.
I'm sorry I don't know from what vegetation it was taken.
Emmeline Dodd
Hi Emmeline,
This is a Banded Sphinx Caterpillar, Eumorpha fasciatus.
Hackberry
Emperor Caterpillar
(03/30/2008) Interesting caterpillar
Here are some photos of a very small and strange looking caterpillar
we have in our backyard. It has a large and noble head with
the two horns. It looks like nothing else on your neat site.
The caterpillar spent the night evidently going around in
circles on the top of a bucket. When I placed it on a plant
it inched off. Tried a striped ivy and now he is climbing
a hackberry. Does it look familiar to you? Thanks so much.
Randy and Jan
San Antonio, Texas
Hi Randy and Jan,
If this is not a Hackberry
Emperor Caterpillar, Asterocampa celtis, then it is one
of the other Emperors in the same genus.
Cecropia Moth Cocoon
(03/30/2008) What was that bug?
Hi Bugman !
I was recently visiting my folks in Maine, this cocoon(?)
was in a maple tree in the yard. It is probably about
5 inches long. What do you think? Pondering in Portland,
Jim
 
Hi Jim,
This is a Cecropia Moth Cocoon. The small hole in the second
photograph indicates that it may have been parasitized since
it seems to small for the adult moth to have emerged.
American
Lady Caterpillar on Plantain-Leaved Pussytoes
(03/29/2008) Da bug
I am a ranger at Okefenokee NWR, where we have many species
of butterflies. I found this caterpillar on March 28,
2008, on what may be it's host plant. Can you identify
the caterpillar, and, ideally, the plant? Thanks for
a great website!
Sallie Gentry
Refuge Ranger
Okefenokee NWR
Folkston, GA
Da bug
Sallie,
Here's your caterpillar. Have you figured out the plant
yet? See you Monday.
JR
Hi Sally,
It looks like JR gave you a task for the weekend. The caterpillar
is an American
Lady Caterpillar, Vanessa virginiensis. We found a website
that states: "The larvae, unlike those of the Painted Lady,
feed on a comparatively limited range of foodplants. The preferred
food sources are plants of the everlasting tribe of the Compositae,
such as sweet everlasting ( Graphalium obtusifolium ), pearly
everlasting ( Anaphalis margaritacea ), and plantain-leaved
pussytoes ( Antennaria plantaginifolia ); they also feed occasionally
on burdock ( Arctium ), wormwood ( Artemisia ), and ironweed
( Vernonia ) (Opler and Krizek 1984; Scott 1986)." Additional
web searching led us to the Connecticut
Botanical Society website. We believe your plant is the
Plantain-Leaved Pussytoes, Antennaria plantaginifolia, also
known as Woman's Tobacco.
White Lined Sphinx Caterpillar
(03/26/2008) caterpillar picture attached
I saw this caterpillar in Anzo-Borrego Desert in southern
California last week. Curious if you know what it is.
Pictures attached.
paul
Hi Paul,
With the desert wildflowers being so spectacular this year,
there is plenty of food for plant eaters like caterpillars.
We expect to get numerous queries regarding your species,
the White Lined Sphinx or Striped Morning Sphinx, Hyles lineata.
The caterpillars of this species are highly variable and become
quite numerous at times. They were eaten by Native Americans
and still are eaten by some adventuresome modern Americans
as well.
Orchard Swallowtail Caterpillar
(03/25/2008) Osmeterium Down Under
Hello Mr Bugman,
My kids found this fellow on our lemon tree, just north of
Brisbane, in Queensland, Australia. When I went to pick
it up, the bright pink protuberances gave me such a fright
that I nearly dropped it! The smell was more floral than offensive
but took ages to wash off, and we were fascinated by the aggression
with which this rather large caterpillar fought against contact.
Of course, we went searching on the net, and learned about
the osmeterium, but couldn't quite identify the caterpillar.
It looks somewhat like your US species of swallowtails or
is it some type of moth? I thoroughly enjoyed your beautiful
website.
Kamara
Hi Kamara,
It is surprising that once armed with a powerful vocabulary
word like osmeterium, that you were unable to properly identify
this Orchard Swallowtail Caterpillar, Papilio
aegeus, which is sometimes called the Large Citrus Butterfly
or just Orchard Butterfly.
Gardenia Bee Hawkmoth Caterpillar from Australia
(03/16/2008) Caterpillar ID
Hi,
I just came across your website. Would you please be kind
enough to identify this caterpillar I found eating white gardenia
leaves? Do you have any particular tip on how I should care
for it? We're hoping it will turn into a beautiful butterfly!
Thanking you in advance,
Morgane
Hi Morgane,
Where in the world are you??
Australia
Thank You Morgane,
This is a Gardenia Bee Hawkmoth Caterpillar, Cephonodes
kingii. Adults are diurnal moths that resemble bumble
bees. Continue to feed the caterpillar. When it is ready,
it will form a naked pupa underground.
Orchard
Swallowtail Caterpillar and Tailed Emperor Caterpillar from
Australia
(03/13/2008) interesting catapillars
Hi There,
My son is obsessed with bugs ( at 2 1/2) and so I have taken
to photographing them for him. Could you tell me what
these catapillars are and what butterfly they turn into. The
first ones ( spiky) were both on the same mandarin tree
but I did not get to see what chrysalis was, presumalbly because
birds ate them? This second cool catapillar
( with horns on it's head) I think may be off a poincianna
tree. What do you think? We live in Brisbane, Australia.
The third ( fat brown) catapillar was on a benjamin fig
tree and again I think the birds got them. I also am sending
in this pic of a cool weevil thing that my son caught and
later let go. It was trying very hard to bite him! Thanks,
Connor is a real fan even though he can't read he would sit
and look at bug picutres on your site all day if I let him!
Yours,
Liza
 |
 |
| Orchard
Swallowtail Caterpillar |
Tailed
Emperor Caterpillar |
Hi Liza,
The spiky caterpillars on your mandarin tree are Orchard
Swallowtail Caterpillars, Papilio aegeus. The caterpillar
with a crown of spikes is a Tailed
Emperor, Polyura sempronius.
Cloudless Sulphur Caterpillar
(03/08/2008) what is this caterpillar?
Hi Bugman,
I found this caterpillar in Santa Barbara, California.
I found it interesting that it matched the color of the plant
I found it on. I have looked around a bit on the web
to identify it without any luck. Can you help?
Also, any idea which plant it is eating? Thank you!!
Dan Sullivan
Hi Dan,
This is a Cloudless Sulphur Caterpillar, Phoebis sennae, also
called the Senna Sulphur. The butterfly is a large, clear
yellow, fast flying species. The plant is Senna. As a means
of camouflage, the caterpillars are often green when feeding
on the leaves, and yellow when feeding on the blossoms.
Unknown
Caterpillar
(03/06/2008) Identifying a caterpiller
Hi. My daughter found this on the playground in Merritt Island,
FL. We wondered if you could help us identify it and tell
us what type of plants or trees it eats. Thank you!
Camille H.
 
Hi Camille,
We thought this might be a Sawfly, but Eric Eaton corrected
our error. "Daniel: Actually, the sawfly larva really IS a
caterpillar of some kind. Sawfly larvae have seven sets of
prolegs, the "suction cups" along the length of the body,
whereas larvae of Lepidoptera have five sets. Without knowing
the host plant, it is really hard to know where to begin in
trying to make an identification of any kind of larva. Eric"
Tussock
Moth Caterpillar from Taiwan
(03/01/2008) Taiwan Caterpillar ID
Hi WTB people,
I found the following caterpillar methodically devouring my
hibiscus plant (on my 14th floor apartment deck in Taichung,
Taiwan). I am wondering if you can identify it for me?
Thanks so much for the time
Brent Wilken
Hi Brent,
This is some species of Tussock Moth, but we can't tell you
the exact species.
Update: (03/06/2008) Tussock Moth Caterpillar
from Taiwan
Hi, the Tussock Moth Caterpillar from Taiwan looks very similar
to the species Dasychira mendosa Hubner. Some nice photos
(both adult moth and caterpillar) can be found here: http://gaga.jes.mlc.edu.tw/new23/9410/007.htm
The mandarin description says the caterpillar of D. mendosa
feeds on Water Lily, Ixora, and Acacia confusa (a perennial
tree native to Asia). Other webpages also mention rose, citrus,
camellia, soy, and sweetgum as possible food plants --a really
wide range of variety! best,
Wei-Ting
PS.The website above is a pretty good online bug guide for
identifying all sorts of critters in Taiwan; the contents
are all in mandarin, but Latin names are provided; index page
at http://gaga.jes.mlc.edu.tw/new23/cp021.htm
Great
Peacock Moth Caterpillar from France
(02/29/2008) Great peacock moth caterpillar
Hello! I met this chubby fluorescent chap with really
bright blue specks on a hillside path near Grenoble,
in the French Alps, last August. I am from England and therefore
am not used to large, alien-looking insects, so was very excited.
I identified it as a great peacock moth caterpillar, the largest
European moth. I just wanted to share it with your site's
caterpillar fans. Thank you!
Emilie Pavey, Grenoble
Hi Emilie,
Thanks for sending us your wonderful image of the Great Peacock
Moth Caterpillar, Saturnia
pyri. We cropped your credit card out of the photo. While
we agree it was a good indication of scale, which we generally
appreciate, we felt the card distracted from the beauty of
the caterpillar. Our readership might want to know that this
Great Peacock Moth Caterpillar was longer than a standard
Visa card. While researching the web, we discovered an image
of this species painted by Vincent
van Gogh.
Death's Head Hawkmoth Caterpillars
(02/26/2008) acherontia styx?
Hi there ... are these acherontia styx caterpillars? Thanks!
Dawn.
Hi Dawn,
Please provide a location.
Thanks for your reply! I really like your website, by the
way. I'm from Singapore. I found these lovelies chomping away
on my jasmine plant. Have kept them aside safely (I have 5
cats) with lots of leaves to keep them happy. Any tips on
how to look after these caterpillars, especially when they
pupate (do they need to burrow beneath soil or hang from a
branch?) Thanks so much for any information you can provide.
Regards,
Dawn.
Hi Dawn,
Thanks so much for the additional information. Hawkmoths in
the genus Acherontia are called the Death's Head Hawkmoths.
Your specimens are in the genus Acherontia, but we are not
certain if they are Acherontia
lachesis or Acherontia
styx medusa, both of which can be found in Singapore.
Thanks for your contribution.
Nason's
Slug Caterpillar
(02/25/2008)
Hi Bugman,
I work for Russell Cave and we try to get pictures of all
critters that we see here and make a photo album out of them.
I have 2 caterpillars that I can not identify. I
have looked at your site and found some similar but no luck.
Could you please help. Thank you very much,
Mary
Hi Mary,
Though we don't receive as many letters in February as we
do in the summer, we are a bit behind in responding. Your
green caterpillar is a Nason's Slug Caterpillar, Natada
nasoni. Handle with care since Slug Caterpillars have
stinging spines. Your other caterpillar appears to be one
of the Noctuid Moths, a very large family of moths. We did
a cursory search on BugGuide,
but properly identifying this caterpillar might take hours,
and still prove unsuccessful.
Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar
(02/25/2008) Caterpillar?
Hello,
I went on vacation with my family this past September (2007)
and when we returned to our campsite we found this caterpillar
on our picnic table. Could you tell me what kind it is? Best
regards,
Amy Vonderchek
Trumansburg, NY
Hi Amy,
If this is not a Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar, Euclea
delphinii, then it is a closely related species in the
same genus. Slug Caterpillars are stinging caterpillars and
they must be handled with caution.
Giant Sphinx Moth Caterpillar: Genus Cocytius
(02/22/2008) Name this green giant please...
Hi there bugman,
I almost had a heart attack when I saw this caterpillar on
my young sweetsop/anon/sweet apple tree. I live in Miami Florida.
I tried identifying it, is not a tomato hornworm nor a luna
moth...It measures about four inches long, it only has the
little red dots on the sides and the white line that ends
in a horn, on its posterior end it has a grouping of red dots.
It's the only one I have seen in my garden and curiosity kills
me. Please help me identify it, and thank you for this wonderful
website and the work you do.
Manuela
Hi Manuela,
You were close with the Tomato Hornworm. This is another Sphinx
Moth Caterpillar, typically called Hornworms. It is in the
genus Cocytius. It is either Duponchel's Sphinx, Cocytius
duponchel, or more likely, Cocytius
antaeus, which has no common name. Both caterpillars feed
on Sour Sop or Custard apple, Annona glabra, and other related
plants. The caterpillar of Cocytius antaeus is a closer visual
match.
Hi Daniel,
I appreciate you writing me back. curiosity kept me searching
until I found it on one of those University websites that
have their "bug" study area. I agree that it matches more
with the Giant Sphinx- Cocytius antaeus. The color and markings
were exact. I had let it stay on my 2 1/2 foot tree overnight
and when I saw my little tree in the morning...it had to go!
I value more my sweetsop tree than a giant moth. It is not
an endangered specie, the blue jays wouldn't touch it nor
the other birds, so the ants are having a go at it. Thanks
again for your help.
Manuela
Hi Manuela
We did a bit more research after receiving your response,
and according to a Wikipedia
article on the Giant Sphinx: "Its wingspan can measure
up to 17cm, and is very rare in North America. It is the only
insect in North America with a long enough proboscis to pollinate
the also rare Ghost Orchid ." The Ghost Orchid was popularized
in Susan Orlean's book The Orchid Thief that subsequently
led to the film Adaptation.
Io Caterpillar parasitized by Braconid Wasps
(02/13/2008) what's on this io moth caterpillar
Hello Mr. Bugman,
I collect these io moth caterpillars after they get just ready
to cacoon, and place them in jars with the leaves if
the trees they are on for my kids to watch. Yes, I told them
about how long the stinging of touching one of them lasts
for a week and that it's like 100 times worse then a bee or
wasp sting. (I know it's kinda the truth, but stretching a
wee bit, puts my point across to them..ages 10yr & 11yr)
So they know it's worth the wait for the io moth. Well, I
came across one of three and it has what looks like some sort
of eggs have been laid on the io moth caterpillar. It is still
alive, but only the third of the size of the other two. Can
you please tell me what these eggs are and what the eggs will
turn into. I searched on the internet for io moth caterpillar
enemies, but found nothing. 2 Photos attached. Thanks,
Judi
Bradenton, FL
Dear Bugman,
I discovered the contents of the eggs (cocoons), they are
little wasps(photo attached), and a normal sized io moth caterpillar(photo
attached)...The one with the eggs attached is 1 1/2"
in size. I found three others just the same with the eggs and
quarantined them in a separate jar from the other io moth
caterpillars. Thanks,
Judi
Bradenton, FL
Dear Bugman,
Determined, I did more searching..I finally came up with searching
"wasps that use caterpillars as hosts" and viewed
the images via google search. It says that it is Cotesia congregata.
Can you verify this for me? Thanks,
Judi
Bradenton, FL
Hi Judi,
We are very sorry it has taken us so long to contact you,
but we have been busy. You searched your way to the correct
answer, in a manner of sorts. We would have told you your
Io Caterpillar was parasitized by Braconid Wasps. Cotesia
congregata is a Braconid
Wasp, but it might be species specific to the Tobacco
Sphinx, Manduca sexta. We are not certain if the Braconid
that parasitizes the Io Moth is species specific. We are not
skilled enough to determine your exact species based on the
photo of the wasp. That would take a specialist in parasitic
wasps.
The Knight: Caterpillar
(02/13/2008)
Hi Daniel,
It's me again...I came across this nasty looking caterpillar
(see attached file) among the bushes & I think they belong
to the species called "Lebadea Martha Parkeri" (The
Knight). Just wondering if you can confirm this. Thanks once
again for your valuable help. Cheers,
Eddie
Hi again Eddie,
Once you had provided us with all the information, our google
search was easy, but one of the first sites we found had a
suspiciously familiar looking image. Sure enough, it was your
exact photo. Reading the content revealed it as your web site,
Living
the Simple Life. We continued to search for proof that
your identification was correct, and found the The
Caterpillar Gallery of the Butterfly Interest Group of
Singapore which contains an image of the caterpillar of The
Knight, Lebadea martha parkeri, and it looks like a match
to your caterpillar, so we agree with your identification.
Prominent
Moth Caterpillar
(02/12/2008) unidentified caterpillar
Hello What's That Bug:
Some months ago, I was photographing bugs and stumbled upon
two odd looking caterpillars. At first they appeared to be
a chrysalis, but they were moving and when I looked closer
they were caterpillars. I was wondering if you could identify
the caterpillar for me. Here is a link to the picture I took:Thanks
in advance for any information,
Michael Thompson
Hi Michael,
Where in the world was the photo taken?
In south Texas near San Antonio...it was just crawling around
in my backyard. There were two of them eating on the same
plant. I don't know what the plant was, but it's some kind
of weed, with large, serrated-looking leaves. The caterpillars
were about an inch and a half long at most, gray in color,
and had humps on their backs which appeared to be tipped with
stingers of some sort. The photograph was taken just Northeast
of San Antonio Texas in late summer.
Hi again Michael,
This is a Prominent Moth Caterpillar in the genus Schizura,
probably Schizura ipomoeae, the Morning Glory Prominent.
UPDATED:
Metamorphosis of the Common Mormon (02/11/2008)
Unknown Swallowtail Butterfly from "Only Eddie Knows Where"
is a Common Mormon
(02/09/2008) Please help to identify this butterfly
Hi there,
I managed to keep 3 caterpillars that were destroying my curry
leaf plant & one of them transformed into this beautiful
butterfly. Attached is the shot of the butterfly that I took
before I set it off free. Please can you help identify this
species of butterfly? Thanks a lot for your help. Cheers,
Eddie
Hi Eddie,
The best we can do without a location of origin is a Swallowtail
Butterfly in the family Papilio.
Oh I'm so sorry Daniel.....I'm from Singapore. Appreciate
your help. Cheers,
Eddie
That was a big help Eddie. Your butterfly is a Common
Mormon, Papilio polytes romulus. We are thrilled that
our search led us to a Butterflies
of Singapore website.
Hi Daniel,
You & Lisa are the greatest :-) Thanks for everything & also
leading me to the Butterflies of Singapore website. Never
knew it existed. If you need photos of the Common Mormon in
the caterpillar & chrysalis stages, I will be glad to forward
them to you for your "What's that bug?" website. Thanks once
again & keep up the good work.
Eddie
 
Wow Eddie,
We couldn't have hoped for better photos. Thanks for creating
this awesome metamorphosis documentation of the Common Mormon
from Singapore for our site. Your photos demonstrate two significant
characteristics of the genus Papilio. First, the caterpillar
photo shows the Osmeterium
or scent gland. Caterpillars in the genus Papilio possess
a hidden scent gland that is often brightly colored and forked
in shape. It is hidden and only appears when the caterpillar
is threatened. Your chrysalis photo shows the silken girdle
that keeps the pupa upright, another characteristic of the
genus Papilio.
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