rss Tree cluster
Location: Cape Town South Africa
September 5, 2010 10:29 am
Is it possible that someone can identify this cluster of caterpillar? Never seen before in my garden. Living in Cape Town South Africa.
Signature: Paul
Caterpillar Aggregation
Dear Paul,
We hope that one of our readers may be able to assist in this identification. Caterpillar aggregations like this are common with North American caterpillars like Tent Caterpillars (see BugGuide) and many other species.
Hickory Horned Devil vs. Cardinal
Hickory Horned Devil and Cardinal
Hickory Horned Devil vs. Cardinal
Location: Columbia, Maryland
September 4, 2010 4:21 pm
This was a battle between a Cardinal and a Hickory Horned Devil. After many attacks, the Cardinal finally gave up and flew away.
Signature: Edwin
Cardinal Gives up on Hickory Horned Devil assault
Hi Edwin,
Thanks for supplying our website with this marvelous documentation. Without birds, our planet would probably soon be defoliated since there are so many insects that feed upon plants. This looks like a young cardinal and a more mature bird would probably not have given up so quickly. The Hickory Horned Devil does not look like it weathered the attack very well.
Hickory Horned Devil
huge caterpillar
Location: Palm Beach County, FL
September 4, 2010 1:23 pm
Hi,
I was picking basil this morning and almost picked this guy – to my immense surprise! He’s soft and squishy, didn’t move the entire time I was out there, and BIG. Can you tell me what species it is?
Thanks in advance!
Signature: basil lady
Rustic Sphinx Hornworm
Dear Basil Lady,
This is the caterpillar of a Sphinx Moth in the family Sphingidae, known as a Hornworm. It looks to us like a Rustic Sphinx, Manduca rustica, and Bill Oehlke’s excellent website has photos of the caterpillar as well as the other stages of metamorphosis. The features that lead us to believe your caterpillar is a Rustic Sphinx are the “numerous white nodules on top of the thorax (visible in your closeup photo) and seven pairs of oblique, blue-gray stripes along the side of the body. The horn is white at the base and blue-gray at the tip.” There is an extensive list of plants that the caterpillar is known to feed upon, and basil is not among them, so we are copying Bill Oehlke on this reply to get a confirmation and also in the event he may want to add basil as a food plant to his list.
Rustic Sphinx Caterpillar
Bill Oehlke Responds
Daniel,
Thanks for referrals. Here is confirmation notice of Manduca rustica from Palm Beach County, Florida.
Hi,
Daniel Marlos, from What`s that bug`, sent me your email in reference to a Manduca rustica larva you encountered feeding on basil.
I confirm that it is Manduca rustica, and I would like permission to add your images to my Sphingidae data base, credited to you.
My Palm Beach County thumbnail checklist is at
http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/flPalmBeachsph5l.htm
Can you send, as jpg attachments to this email address, larger images than the ones displayed on What`s that bug
Basil represents a new host plant for this species, but it is not surprising to me because it seems to eat just about everything in sight.
I am wondering though it it just switched over to basil recently and was previously eating something else. Can you find basil plants nearby with many leaves missing and numerous caterpillar droppings (poop) on the ground below the basil plants.
Also if I am to credit the photo properly, I would need your full name, or just initials if you would prefer.
Bill Oehlke
Hi,
Thank you for the really fast reply!
If you want any additional images of the caterpillar, please let me know. If you use any of the images, you can credit little c photography instead of “Basil Lady.”
Cheers,
Jenny
Unknown catepillar
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
September 3, 2010 3:34 pm
We found this in the yard in Pittsburgh, PA. ANy ideas as to what it is and what kind of moth/butterfly it will turn into?
signature: Wendi Martin
Heterocampa Caterpillar
Hi Wendi,
Though your photo doesn’t show the head, this pattern and coloration is characteristic of Prominent Caterpillars in the genus Heterocampa just prior to pupation. BugGuide has good images of the caterpillars in the genus Heterocampa as well as images of the adult moths.
Curious, spectacular cocoon
Location: South Florida
September 1, 2010 9:15 pm
I found this in my crepe myrtle tree about two weeks ago. It’s a stunning piece of work, but I’ve never seen anything like it before. Even my colleague, a caterpillar/moth/butterfly guru, has never seen the likes of it and pronounced it ”spooky.” It’s between 2-3 inches long. What made this?
wilmax
bagworm
Hi wilmax,
This cocoon was made by a Bagworm, the caterpillar of a moth in the family Psychidae. As a caterpillar, the Bagworm spins a shelter from silk and organic matter from the plants upon which it feeds. It drags the bag around while it feeds, never leaving its shelter. It then uses the bag to pupate, the stage depicted in your photograph. Adult Bagworm moths are sexually dimorphic. The males are winged and the females lack wings and legs and do not leave the shelter of the bag once mature. After mating, the female lays her eggs in the bag and after hatching, the young caterpillars disperse, each spinning its own bag which is enlarged as the caterpillar grows.
Thank you!! Thanks for choosing to feature the photo on the site. I see that you have had many similar questions in the past – I wish I had known where to start looking.
Io Moth Caterpillar (Automeris Io)?
Location: Jacksonville FL
September 1, 2010 7:10 pm
Found several of these feasting heartily on one of our Crape Myrtle trees. They are pretty large. We live in Jacksonville FL. I wanted to share this photo with you all and also verify if my research is correct 
Dan
Io Moth Caterpillars
Hi Dan,
Your research is correct and these are Io Moth Caterpillars. We trust you exercised caution in handling them because the spines can sting.
Pics of Hickory Horned Devil
Location: Charlotte NC
August 31, 2010 8:56 am
Thought you might like some additional pics of this horned devil. He was on a nearby tree at the welcome table at the Hummingbird Festival (Charlotte NC) this past weekend (Sat. Aug. 28). It amazed everyone that got to see it.
Michael
Hickory Horned Devil
Hi Michael,
Thanks for providing us with your excellent images of a Hickory Horned Devil. The “portrait” is a perspective we do not often see.
Hickory Horned Devil
Banded Sphinx Moth Caterpillars?
Banded Sphinx Moth Caterpillars
Banded Sphinx Moth Caterpillars?
Location: Irmo, South Carolina
August 30, 2010 2:08 pm
Dearest Bugman,
Love the website. Just found it the other day. I have been taking lots of pics of dragonflies, but my questions are about some caerpillars I’ve found. The first photo is of two cats on a type of primrose that grows in the water at the edge of the pond. Unfortunately, I hadn’t noticed the cats until after my DH had weed-whacked most of the primroses down, but there are still a few plants left. The second photo is one of the cats after I had brought him inside. I’m keeping it in a plastic bug box for now. I’m feeding it the plants it was on. I thought it would eat more, but there has been frass and the cat has grown and changed color. The second pic shows him now (three days after I found him). Will the indoor temp negatively affect it? It’s about 90 degrees outside and about 70 inside. The last pic is a large (about 3” long) cat that is also feeding on the primroses. I am pretty sure the first pic is a Banded Sphinx moth cat, but not sure about the last one. One of my flowerbeds has petunias and moonflowers and we thought there was a baby hummingbird coming to feed late in the evening, but now we know it was one of the big moths.
Laura
Banded Sphinx Moth Caterpillar
Hi Laura,
All of your caterpillars are Banded Sphinx Moth Caterpillars, Eumorpha fasciatus. According to Jim Tuttle on Bill Oehlke’s excellent website:”In my experience the caterpillars of this species are the most variable of all of the sphingids.“ That statement is supported on BugGuide where many color variations of the Banded Sphinx Moth Caterpillars are posted. The temperature change from 90 to 70 degrees may slow growth a tiny bit, but it will not have a negative effect on the development of your caterpillars. Banded Sphinx Caterpillars, unlike the caterpillars of most members of the family which are known as Hornworms, does not possess a caudal horn. Your caterpillars will appreciate some nice soil in which to bury themselves to pupate.
Banded Sphinx Moth Caterpillar
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