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Silkwormsbig neon green caterpillar
September 19, 2009
My husband and I found this 3 inch long almost an inch wide big neon green caterpillar eating peacon leaves.What kind of caterpillar is this and what will it turn into..
Barb claremont north carolina…
Claremont,North Carolina foothills.
Luna Caterpillar
Hi Barb,
This is a Polyphemus Moth Caterpillar. It will transform into a large beautiful moth.
Ed. Note:
Upon receiving a comment that this was a Luna Moth Caterpillar and not a Polyphemus Moth Caterpillar, we are amending our original identification. The Luna Caterpillar is picture and described on BugGuide as “Larva lime-green with pink spots and weak subspiracular stripe on abdomen. Yellow lines cross the larva’s back near the back end of each segment (compare Polyphemus moth caterpillars, which have yellow lines crossing at spiracles). Anal proleg edged in yellow.(2) Sparse hairs.“ The Polyphemus Moth Caterpillar is described on BugGuide as: “Larva: body large, bright green, with red and silvery spots below setae, and oblique yellow lines running through spiracles on abdomen; diagonal streak of black and silver on ninth abdominal segment; head and true legs brown; base of primary setae red, subdorsal and lateral setae have silver shading below; end of prolegs with yellow ring, and tipped in black.“
Related Posts
- NOT Luna Moth Caterpillar but Polyphemus Moth Caterpillar (September 3, 2007)
- Polyphemus Moth Caterpillar (October 6, 2007)
- Luna Moth Caterpillar ready to Pupate (July 29, 2006)
- Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar (September 24, 2006)
- Polyphemus Moth Caterpillar (November 3, 2008)
Comments 2
This is a luna moth larva (Actias luna) not a polyphemus. You can tell by the absence of the verticle yellow “stripes” that run through the spiracles of polyphemus larvae, not luna.
Posted 19 Sep 2009 at 4:49 pm ¶Thanks for this clarification. We often mix up these two caterpillars.
Posted 20 Sep 2009 at 11:11 am ¶Post a Comment
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