Giant Swallowtail caterpillar in Louisiana
Location: Louisiana
October 31, 2011 1:13 pm
Hello WTB! Love your site. Attached is a couple pictures of what I believe to be a Giant Swallowtail caterpillar. I hope you can find use for it.
Signature: Simon Mahan

Orange Dog

Hi Simon,
The larvae of Giant Swallowtails are commonly called Orange Dogs because they feed on the leaves of citrus trees, including orange trees.  Your caterpillar is an early instar, meaning is still will undergo several molts before transforming into a chrysalis.  Giant Swallowtail Caterpillars are easily overlooked by predators because they resemble bird droppings.

Thank you! And yes, it was on an orange tree =-)
-Simon

Unknown caterpiller with warning stalks?
Location: Harrisburg, PA.
September 28, 2011 7:26 pm
I was wondering if you had an idea as to what this little fellow is. The first photo shows the results of prodding him with a stem to move him into better camera view. The orange stalks appear to be some sort of defensive measure. Could you inform me as to what they actually do? Any help would be appreciated.
Signature: Joseph Grabko

Black Swallowtail Caterpillar

Hi Joseph,
One of your photos shows this early instar Black Swallowtail Caterpillar on an Italian parsley leaf, one of the garden herbs that serves as a host plant for the caterpillar that is often called a Parsley Worm or Carrot Worm.  Fully grown Black Swallowtail Caterpillars have a striking green, black, yellow and white pattern that your individual doesn’t yet possess since it is an earlier instar.  Caterpillars molt five times between the time they hatch from eggs until they metamorphose into a chrysalis, and each of the stages is called an instar.  The orange stalks you mentioned are a scent organ called an osmetriumthat is characteristic of Swallowtail Caterpillars from around the world.  As you indicated, it is a defense measure that will dissuade predators like birds.  Your individual is one of the earliest instar images we have received of a Swallowtail Caterpillar displaying its osmetrium.

Black Swallowtail Caterpillar displaying Osmetrium

this creature on my lime tree
Location: india
September 23, 2011 2:55 am
Have found a few of these on my lime tree and i am told they chew up all the leaves. but since i dont know their name, i am unable to address the problem.
please help
Signature: Sukhie

Lime Butterfly Caterpillar

Dear Sukhie,
This is the caterpillar of a Swallowtail Butterfly, and unless the tree is totally defoliated, which we doubt will happen, the loss of a few leaves to feed this caterpillar is a small sacrifice to be able to enjoy the lovely adults flitting around the garden.  The red structure is a defense organ known as an osmetrium, and in addition to resembling the tongue of a snake, the caterpillar is able to give off a strong scent that dissuades predators.  We did a bit of research and we have learned that your caterpillar is Papilio demoleus malayanus, and it is commonly called the Lime Butterfly.  We searched the internet and found many photos of the caterpillar, but your photo is probably one of the best.  We are proud to include it on our website.  You can see the entire life cycle of this lovely species on the Butterflies of Singapore website.

Thank you for your prompt reply, have plenty other pictures of this caterpillar as well. Have removed the from my young trees and placed them elsewhere. Love them butterflies.
regards
Sukhie

Make sure you place them on lime or other citrus if you want them to survive.

Correction Courtesy of Keith Wolfe
Hello Daniel and Sukhie,
Knowing that your time to do Internet searches is very limited, Daniel, please allow me to correct the caterpillar ID to that of the COMMON MORMON (Papilio polytes).  I’ve seen hundreds of Lime Butterfly and Common Mormon larvae all across Asia, the two being easily separable by a coffee-colored band between the “eyes” (Lime Butterfly) and prominent blue spots on the head and body (Common Mormon).  FYI on a simple comparative Word doc that I posted several years ago on an Indian forum — http://groups.google.com/group/butterfly_india/msg/405238f507d08e91.
Best wishes,
Keith