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Caterpiller??
Found this one on my grapefruit tree. There were actually two of them and they were moving. Seems that the larger end is the head. What is it? Thanks in advance,
Richard R. Gongora
Houston, TX
Hi Richard,
This is the caterpillar of the Giant Swallowtail, commonly known as an Orange Dog.
Polyura sempronius the swallowtailed Emperor
Hi Bugman,
Been through all your caterpillar pages and thought you might like this guy from Queensland, Australia. This is the Polyura sempronius, the swallowtailed Emperor. Caterpillar is about 2 inches long and apparently this is the fully mature stage. Hope you like it.
Trevor Jinks
Australia
Hi Trevor,
That is one amazing looking caterpillar. We did additional research and located a website that pictures the life cycle of this Brush Footed Butterfly. The caterpillar food plants include species of Acacia known at Wattles.
orange dog images
Hi, I found your site while googling to indentify another caterpillar. Great site! If you would like some orange dog shots, here they are. We have a pet key lime tree and some grapefruits that are for a client. I pick all the larvae off the grapefruits and transfer them to the key lime, and my four year old is an avid orange dog rescuer as well! I think you forgot to mention that in addition to giving off the odor when they produce the antennae(which smells kind of like really strong orange oil to me), they look like a blob of bird poop. Very truly yours,
Lynnae Dehoff in West Palm Beach, FL
Hi Lynnae,
Thanks ever so much for sending us your wonderful images of the Orange Dog and the next stage in the metamorphosis of the Giant Swallowtail, the Chrysalis.
These little guys…
Found these little guys climbing out of my Chinese elm tree, here in Southern California. I watched for over an hour as at least 15 climbed down, one by one. Can you tell me what kind they are, and what they feed on? Thanks.
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
This is a Mourning Cloak Butterfly Caterpillar. They were feeding on the leaves of your Chinese Elm and they left the tree to find a good place to pupate. Mourning Cloaks are lovely purplish black butterflies with cream colored wing edges and blue spots.
Wow! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my e-mail. Our entire evening had been centered around these caterpillars. My children and I carefully collected them as they came out of the tree thinking we would watch then release them as butterflies. Since I wasn’t sure what they fed on and didn’t want them to starve, I placed them back at the base of the tree. I tried looking online several times to identify, but had no luck. I even woke in the middle of the night thinking of them….funny. Anyway, it was SO NICE to find your e-mail with the answer, and the kids (2 & 4) were amazed with the pictures and facts I was able to then find on the internet. Thank you for helping keep our interest “peaked”. All that right in our own back yard! So cool. Take care.
polydamas swallowtailswallow tail
Adult and caterpillar Port Orange, Florida
Heather
Hi Heather,
Thanks for sending in your photos of Battus polydamas.
Strange Caterpillar
Found this in the yard – Northern Alabama. Light green body, dark purple head and weird orange eyes!! Cool looking, alien! What is it? Thanks!
Mike
Hi Mike,
This very distinctive caterpillar belongs to a butterfly called the Silver Spotted Skipper, Epargyreus clarus.
Apologies for not getting back to you sooner. I discovered it was the Citrus Swallowtail, my address is southern Queensland in Australia and it hatched out yesterday, see the photos i’m pleased to attach, i was so sure i’d miss the moment. How do they fit into the case, it IS a miracle./
dawn
Hi again Dawn,
Thank you so much for the followup images of the metamorphosis of the spectacular caterpillar you sent our way on January 19. Your photos are all wonderful.
Pupa ID
Hello, Here in the wet Northwest, our family has been watching what appears to be a pupa for four months. It is attached to a small rosebush on our deck. Can anyone identify it? When can we expect a metamorphosis?
Thanks,
Elliott,
Keizer OR
Hi Elliot,
The silken girdle that keeps this chrysalis upright immediately identifies it as one of the Swallowtail Butterflies. Sorry, we cannot identify the exact species.
HI. Just found this on my lemonade tree, another has the red “feelers” out of sight, or retracted, would love to know what it is. Thank you,
dawn lewis
Hi Dawn,
We can say with near certainty that you did not photograph this Swallowtail Caterpillar in the continental U.S. That said, we have no idea what species it is or where you photographed it, though that is information you could have easily supplied to us. Swallowtails are large showy butterflies, often with tails on the hind wings. Most of the caterpillars have a forked scent gland near the head known as the osmeterium. It is normally concealed, but when the caterpillar is disturbed, it emits an odor from this scent gland. We only wish we knew what exotic country you took the photo. It sure is a pretty specimen.
Update: (01/21/2007) swallowtail ID
Hey, guys!
I saw the gorgeous image you guys posted recently of a swallowtail larva from an undisclosed country. It looked sort of like an orange dog, Papilio cresphontes, only it had green and a lot of spines, and a bright red osmeterium. I did some googling, and I think it’s the Orchard Swallowtail, Papilio aegeus. They are found in Australia! Here’s a couple of links to sites I found. http://www.geocities.com/brisbane_butters/Orch_butt.htm
http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/bioinformatics/butter/images/aegelive6.htm
Bobby
Thanks for the update Bobby, We also noticed the resemblance to the Orange Dog in the osmeterium, but we didn’t have the time to do further research without a country. Australia was an obvious choice at this time of year. Thanks again.
What is this caterpillar?
Can you identify this caterpillar? I found this in Nov 2007 in the Sutter Buttes of California. It was on the ground about 30 feet from a cluster of pupas that I found attached to a rock. Not sure if they are related. Thank You,
Richard Coleman
Hi Richard,
Your caterpillars are Pipevine Swallowtails, Battus philenor, and the Chrysalis is also from the Pipevine Swallowtail. Your photo does not show the silken girdle thread that keeps the chrysalis upright. This is a characteristic of the chrysalis of most swallowtails.
Australian bird shit caterpillar
Hi Bugman,
I am no entomologist but I like science and looking at it I was thinking: What is that? A bird shit caterpillar !!! Wow, how darwinian !? Searching on the net I discover you have the same in Kansas… I thought you’d be interested to know that we have the equivalent in Australia living on our lemon tree, it’s the citrus thing that triggered my interest. Two bugs adopting the same mimicry eating the same kind of leaves…? It’s more than just a case of co-evolution. And I suspect the butterfly associated to this caterpillar is this gorgeous one that goes up and down and up and down in the hot summer afternoon in our backyard. I have a pic somewhere I’ll try to find it if you are interested. On the pic the caterpillar is in a defensive position, normally the pointy bits are not erected and it looks just like a bird poo. New years greetings from Oz
Olivier Bruge & Peter Young
Canberra
Hi Olivier and Peter,
Your caterpillar is a Citrus Swallowtail or Orchard Swallowtail, Papilio aegeus. The Butterflies of Australia website has images of the caterpillars and the adults. Your caterpillar is an early instar, and the coloration will change with subsequent molts. We would love to get a photo of the adult butterfly if you are able to send one.
Down under Papilio Aegeus !
Hi Daniel,
Thank you so much for your answer. Here is the pic of the butterfly I was very happy to know that my huntch was right. I love the idea that this beautiful insect comes out of a big poo!! It’s a great evolutionary version of Andersen’s “hugly duckling”. … Have a g’day (as we say here)
Olivier Bruge,
Canberra, Australia.
Black Swallowtail Caterpiller – with “horns” out
Thought you might like to add this shot. Taken in September in the Dallas, Texas area, near some parsley plants.
Jeffrey L. Cox
Hi Jeffrey,
Thanks for sending us your wonderful photograph of a Black Swallowtail Caterpillar with its Osmetrium or scent gland extended.
