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butterfly caterpillarsCatepillar
Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 4:58 PM
Dear bugman,
My curiosity has overtaken me with what this beautiful catepillar will be born into. I found this specimen in Feb-Mar, in San Diego, on my doormat. Luckily we didn’t step on it. It was slow moving, as I played with it for a while before placing it back where I found it. It was about an inch long, smooth and soft. As you can see it prefers mimicry, hence the bird dropping look, yummy. I was just wondering if you could place a name on it. Thanks, love the site. Keep it up.
Chris, friend of all bugs
San Diego, CA
Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar
Hi Chris,
Your bird dropping mimic is the caterpillar of a Giant Swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes. It is sometimes called an Orange Dog because it feeds on the leaves of orange and other citrus trees. The butterfly is a lovely brown and yellow “tailed” species. In recent years, the Giant Swallowtail has expanded its range to include much of Southern California.
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Comments 1
how long will a giant swallowtail hibernate? i have 2 that i have indoors for 4 months in southern calif. now are outside.
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