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Tawny Emperor Caterpillar, we believe

strange caterpillar in Waxahachie, Texas
Location: Waxahachie, Texas
May 1, 2011 10:15 am
I saw this strange caterpillar crawling on a bench in Waxahachie, Texas. It looked like it had a face of a cartoon frog with eyes. My son commented that it had ”eye antennas”. It looked a little like a Chinese dragon as well. What is this thing?
Signature: Stacey R.

emperor cat stacey 286x300 Tawny Emperor Caterpillar, we believe

Tawny Emperor Caterpillar

Hi Stacey,
This caterpillar with metamorphose into one of the Emperor Butterflies in the genus Asterocampa.  We believe, based on this image from BugGuide, that your caterpillar is a Tawny Emperor Caterpillar, Asterocampa clyton, though the other members of the genus have similar looking caterpillars.

Thanks, you are amazing!
Stacey

Posted 01 May 2011 § brush footed butterfly caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

South African Caterpillar is Grass Skipper

What kind of caterpillar is this?
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
April 3, 2011 12:58 pm
Hi, I’m not very knowledgeable on bugs so I am assuming this is a caterpillar…if it is, what kind is it? Also, would you be able to advise me on which leaves it eats as well?
Thanks Bugman
Signature: Mel

caterpillar south africa mel 300x183 South African Caterpillar is Grass Skipper

Grass Skipper Caterpillar

Hi Mel,
Since receiving your email a few days ago, we have tried unsuccessfully to identify this Caterpillar, which we believe will metamorphose into a butterfly and not a moth.  Our best guesses are perhaps a Skipper Caterpillar in the family Hesperiidae, a Brush Footed Butterfly Caterpillar in the family Nymphalidae, or a member of the family of Sulphurs and Whites, Pieridae.  Since we have not had any luck, we are contacting Keith Wolfe who often identifies butterfly caterpillars for us.  It appears that this Caterpillar is on eucalyptus or gum.  Is that correct?
P.S.  We just noticed that you are requesting information on what it eats.  Perhaps the gum leaves were your attempt to feed this Caterpillar and it was not found there.  Please clarify.

Hi Daniel,
Thanks for your quick reply! I found the caterpillar on a dead leaf of the only tree in the vicinity so I assumed that it ate those leaves, but just wanted to clarify. I have been trying (unsuccessfully) to identify the tree from the leaf that I found. I have attached a scanned image of one of the leaves in case that may help?

Karl provides an ID
Hi Daniel and Mel:
I think this is most likely the late instar caterpillar of a Grass Skipper (Hesperiidae: Hesperiinae). It could be a species of Pelopidas, perhaps P. mathias which is one of two species found in South Africa. Another possibility is the genus Borbo which has at least ten representatives in South Africa. I wasn’t able to find any photos of South African Borbo species, but here is one from the Malay Peninsula and one from Australia. Species in both genera are commonly referred to as Swifts. It may also be some other related skipper – there are lots to choose from and many are quite similar. What all members of the subfamily have in common is that they feed on grasses. Some species are generalists but others are quite specific about which grasses they will feed on.  Regards. Karl

Keith Wolfe concurs
Hi Daniel,
This is certainly a skipper larva — definitely not a young nymphalid or pierid, though the latter are somewhat similar in appearance.  I’m away from home and thus my references, so my next email will be to a South African friend for his firsthand opinion.
Best wishes,
Keith

Keith Wolfe clarifies
April 14, 2011
Mel, Daniel, and Karl: Concerning the subject skipper caterpillar, today I received the below reply from André Coetzer, noted South African lepidopterist, herpetologist, and photographer.
“The skipper larva you sent looks like a Gegenes larvae, but seeing as G. niso, G. pumilio and to a lesser extent G. hottentota occurs in Johannesburg, I can’t tell you which one it is.  I’ve only bred G. niso so I have no idea what the other two’s larvae look like.”
Here is more information — http://books.google.com/books?id=rZK-YmT1KZoC&pg=PT413&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&ots=F_CTZgMmDs&sig=ACfU3U1YetTHb_xS8VOEO0nG6iPXdvdEKw&w=685.
Best wishes,
Keith

Posted 06 April 2011 § Skipper Caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °

Great Purple Hairstreak Caterpillar

Caterpillar in Central Texas
Location: Austin, Texas
April 3, 2011 9:31 pm
We found this caterpillar crawling across the road. Can you help ID it? It kind of looks like a Frosted Elfin or a Green Oakblue but neither of those is supposed to be in Cetral Texas. My sone is taking this to show and tell tomorrow (we will free it in the butterfly garden afterwards), so any help woudl be appreciated (not just for tomorrow). I’ll keep looking on the web..
Thanks
Signature: Karyn and Erik

great purple hairstreak cat karyn 2 300x210 Great Purple Hairstreak Caterpillar

Great Purple Hairstreak Caterpillar

Dear Karyn and Erik,
Sorry, we are stumped as well.  Sadly, it doesn’t seem to have any distinguishing features.

Hi Daniel,
Thanks so much anyway. The only feature I could see is what looked like two tiny eyes/ eye shapes close together that both formed the shape of a diamond on the top of the head. I have more pictures of the underside and snout, I could send you if you would like. I will keep looking on the web too.
Have a good day,
Karyn

great purple hairstreak cat karyn 300x206 Great Purple Hairstreak Caterpillar

Great Purple Hairstreak Caterpillar

Hi Daniel,
I think I found it. I believe it is a Great Purple Hairstreak. See this link:
http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/imagehtmls/Lycaenidae/Atlides_halesus_corcorani_4th_instar_ex_F_05-IV-2008_USA_CA_San_Bernadino_Co_vic_Mt_Manchester_Dead_Mountains_3400_3_i.htm
The diamond shaped mark on the head is almost identical to the caterpillar we found. I have attached a higher res photo that I took, in
case the first one did not make it through.
Your site is great! The second graders loved looking at all the pictures.
Karyn and Erik
Austin,Texas

Thanks for writing back Karyn and Erik.
You did a great job of tracking down the Great Purple Hairstreak Caterpillar’s identity.  We agree that you have found the correct species.  We had to create a new category for Lycaenid Caterpillars.

Posted 06 April 2011 § Gossamer Wings § Lycaenid Caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Variegated Fritillary Caterpillar

Unknown Caterpillar
Location: Gilbert, AZ 85233
April 2, 2011 2:58 am
Hello,
Please help identify this caterpillar I found on a pansy flower in my garden in Gilbert Arizona (southeast Phoenix). I found it Feb. 26th. Thank you!
Signature: Lindsey

variegated fritillary cat lindsey 300x206 Variegated Fritillary Caterpillar

Variegated Fritillary Caterpillar

Hi Lindsey,
This pretty little caterpillar will metamorphose into the lovely Variegated Fritillary, Euptoieta claudia.  You can see BugGuide to compare images of the caterpillar and to see the adult.

Posted 02 April 2011 § brush footed butterfly caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °

Ruby Spotted Swallowtail Caterpillars and Imago in Costa Rica

Caterpillars from Costa Rica
Location: about 30 km north of San Ramon at a rural area with an elevation of 700m
March 28, 2011 8:24 pm
These guys were growing on a citrus tree leaf (pic 1). They changed their appearance quit dramatically after a few days (pic 2), and then left the leaf and disappeared.
Thanks
Signature: Hagit

caterpillars costa rica hagit 300x206 Ruby Spotted Swallowtail Caterpillars and Imago in Costa Rica

Ruby Spotted Swallowtail Caterpillars

Dear Hagit,
We don’t recognize your caterpillars and we plan to try to begin researching this tomorrow.  We are contacting Keith Wolfe to see if he recognizes this species.  Thanks for sending two different instar photos.  We believe they are Brush Footed Butterfly Caterpillars in the family Nymphalidae.

caterpillars costa rica hagit 2 300x252 Ruby Spotted Swallowtail Caterpillars and Imago in Costa Rica

Later Instar of Ruby Spotted Swallowtail Caterpillars

Hi Hagit and Daniel,
As earlier from Mexico . . .
http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2010/11/08/unknown-caterpillar-aggregation-from-mexico/
. . . these Costa Rican caterpillars are Papilio anchisiades (or a very close relative).  This abundant and widespread swallowtail is commonly found in areas disturbed by human activities.
Best wishes,
Keith

Thank you Keith,
These butterflies are indeed abundant and widespread where I shot the pictures.   A place which is sadly very much disturbed by human activities.

ruby spotted swallowtail costa rica hagit 300x235 Ruby Spotted Swallowtail Caterpillars and Imago in Costa Rica

Ruby Spotted Swallowtail

Hi Hagit,
Thanks for sending us your beautiful photo of the adult Ruby Spotted Swallowtail to accompany the caterpillar images you sent earlier.

 

Posted 29 March 2011 § swallowtail caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °

Possibly Questionmark Caterpillar

Black and Orange Catapillar
Location: Houston, Texas
March 21, 2011 9:46 pm
I found this caterpillar in the front yard on a ham and eggs(flower) plant on November 29 2010. It’s very spiky looking so I didn’t touch it. I wondered what kind of catapillar it is and what it turns into.
Signature: Thanks, Kelly Bufkin

nymphalidae cat lantana kelly 300x219 Possibly Questionmark Caterpillar

Questionmark Caterpillar???

Hi again Kelly,
This is one of the Brush-Footed Butterfly Caterpillars.  We looked up ham and eggs and found out it is lantana.  Knowing the host plant might make identification easier, but we have not had any luck in our quick search.  We suspect your caterpillar is in the subfamily Nymphalinae, and you might try finding a match on BugGuide, since time will not allow us to do further research at the moment.  Just prior to posting, we did a final search and we believe this is a Questionmark Caterpillar, Polygonia interrogationis based on this photo on BugGuide, though BugGuide does not list lantana as a host.

Posted 22 March 2011 § brush footed butterfly caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °

Monarch Chrysalis

Daniel, I found a chrysalis
Location: South Pasadena, CA
March 17, 2011 10:49 pm
I continue to have monarch caterpillars on the milkweed. Not so many – just two or three at a time. I’ve kept looking for a chrysalis, and I thought real hard about taking caterpillars captive. This morning I noticed the narcissus leaves looking droopy, and I was going to bundle them up. When I saw this! Hanging off the leaves. It’s smaller than I would have thought – smaller than a full grown caterpillar, and much smaller than a butterfly. I couldn’t get a very good picture, but wanted to share anyway. Fitting that it’s green.
Signature: Barbara

monarch chrysalis barbara 300x241 Monarch Chrysalis

Monarch Chrysalis

Hi Barbara,
Thanks so much for sending us your photo of a Monarch Chrysalis.  It is nice to hear your garden is supporting a healthy Monarch population.  Often caterpillars leave a food plant to pupate.

Posted 18 March 2011 § brush footed butterfly caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: ,

Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar

Gulf Frit Cat, Silver Version?
Location: Orlando, Florida
February 20, 2011 7:25 pm
Hi Bugman. I was so excited and puzzled by my first caterpillar sighting since winter began. It looks like a gulf fritillary caterpillar but every one I’ve ever seen has been orange with black markings. This one is silver/gray with light orange stripes. It can’t be any other type of fritillary, can it? It was munching away on my passiflora incarnata. This one is a real beauty.
Signature: Elizabeth

gulf fritillary cat elizabeth 300x189 Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar

Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar

Dear Elizabeth,
Your identification is correct. This is a Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar.  According to BugGuide:  “Larvae are generally orange with black branched spines and greenish-black stripes. There is a larval variant with purple/lavender stripes, seen mostly in Texas.” and here is an example of that color variation from Arizona that is posted to BugGuide.

Posted 21 February 2011 § brush footed butterfly caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °

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