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Citrus Swallowtail Caterpillar Metamorphosis in South Africa

Caterpillar identification

swallowtail prepupa south africa galye+2 229x300 Citrus Swallowtail Caterpillar Metamorphosis in South Africa

Citrus Swallowtail Caterpillar prepares to Pupate

Caterpillar identification
Location: Still Bay, Western Cape, South Africa
February 19, 2011 10:13 am
Hi. I have a caterpillar that has decided to attach itself to our carport. Would love to know what species it is and how long we need to watch till it emerges again.
Signature: Galye

swallowtail prepupa south africa galye 178x300 Citrus Swallowtail Caterpillar Metamorphosis in South Africa

Citrus Swallowtail Caterpillar prepares to pupate

Dear Galye,
This is the caterpillar of a Swallowtail Butterfly in the family Papilionidae.  We believe it is the caterpillar of a Citrus Swallowtail, Papilio demodocus.  You can compare you individual to this image on FlickR or this image on WebShots.  We hare happy you sent us images of both the pre-pupa and the Chrysalis.  The Chrysalis of most Swallowtail Butterflies is unique in that it is supported in an upright position by a girdle of silk.

swallowtail chrysalis south africa galye 192x300 Citrus Swallowtail Caterpillar Metamorphosis in South Africa

Citrus Swallowtail Chrysalis

Keith Wolfe provides some information
Hi Galye,
Yes, if healthy, your chrysalis will metamorphose into a Citrus Swallowtail — aka Christmas Butterfly, because adults are often commonest in December, and Orange Dog, because its caterpillars can be pests of young orange trees and related plants — in about 10 days.  BTW, here is a better image for you to compare (the above Flickr link shows an unusually marked individual, while the Webshots photo is misidentified): http://photocamel.com/gallery/data/1138/Papilio_demodocus_final_instar_Gillitts_14_Mar_09.jpg.
Best wishes,
Keith

Update from Galye
February 28, 2011
Thank you so much for your quick reply. Loved the photo links you sent. Unfortunately we missed the butterfly coming out of the pupa stage. Have some photo’s of the pupa casing that was left. Would love it if you could send me a link for some photos that show the butterfly emerging.

citrus swallowtail chrysalis exuvia south africa galye 205x300 Citrus Swallowtail Caterpillar Metamorphosis in South Africa

Citrus Swallowtail Chrysalis Exuvia

Hi Galye,
Thanks for the update and new photo, and we are sorry you missed the actual transformation process.  Alas, we were unable to quickly locate an image of a Citrus Swallowtail Butterfly emerging from the chrysalis, but we did get documentation of a newly emerged individual in 2007. We also located this image of a Giant Swallowtail emerging from the Chrysalis on the Science Photo Library website.

Posted 19 February 2011 § swallowtail caterpillars ‡ Comments (1) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Chinese Yellow Swallowtail Caterpillar in Hawaii

swallowtail caterpillar in hawai’i
Location: Honolulu, HI
February 1, 2011 10:33 pm
Can you tell me what kind of swallowtail this is?
Found them on my tangelo…
Mahalo!
Signature: local boy

chinese yellow swallowtail caterpillar hawaii 300x206 Chinese Yellow Swallowtail Caterpillar in Hawaii

Chinese Yellow Swallowtail Caterpillar

Dear local boy,
We did a web search and found that the Chinese Yellow Swallowtail, Papilio xuthus, is well documented in Hawaii based on the Butterflies of Hawaii website.  The image of the caterpillar on the Chinese Yellow Swallowtail pictured on the Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias website matches your specimen.

Wow, that was super-quick!
Mahalo nui Daniel!  Me and my kids love the website–mahalo for your labor of love.
Kua’aina

Posted 02 February 2011 § swallowtail caterpillars ‡ Comments (2) °

Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar

Name that caterpillar
Location: Northern California
January 24, 2011 6:39 pm
I came across this bug last week in my front yard (January 2011). I moved him off of the walking path. My coworker and I were curious what he might turn into. I looked online but didn’t see any bugs that looked like him.
Signature: -Kimber

gulf fritillary cat kimber 300x206 Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar

Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar

Hi Kimber,
This is the caterpillar of a Gulf Fritillary, a pretty orange butterfly that can be found where passionflower grows because that is the food for the caterpillars.

Posted 25 January 2011 § brush footed butterfly caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Blue Mountain Swallowtail Caterpillar, Papilio ulysses, from Australia

what type of caterpillar is this
Location: Queensland (cairns)
January 14, 2011 11:46 pm
HI bugman
I need your help to identify this caterpillar,I found it in my garden
and if you can,can you please find out what the caterpillar eats.
Thanks
Signature: delaney potoi

papilio ulysses cat australia delaney 300x195 Blue Mountain Swallowtail Caterpillar, Papilio ulysses, from Australia

Mountain Blue Caterpillar: Papilio ulysses

Dear Delaney,
We are a bit confused by your request, though we are thrilled to post your photograph.  When we first read your email, we thought you had labeled this image “Ulysses Caterpillar” because someone named Ulysses found it.  Upon doing our research, we found that it is the caterpillar of the Blue Mountain Swallowtail, Papilio ulysses, which we have always called the Ulysses Swallowtail.  It would appear that you already had an identification prior to submitting your request.  We identified your caterpillar on the Caterpillars of Australia website which indicates:  “In the wild they feed on the new growth foliage of the jungle trees : Fuzzy Lemon Aspen ( Acronychia vestita ), Silver Ash (Flindersia bourjotiana ), Glasswood ( Geijera salicifolia ), Kerosine Wood ( Halfordia kendack ), Yellow Evodia ( Melicope bonwickii ), Pink Princess ( Melicope elleryana ), Little Evodia ( Melicope rubra ), Northern Euodia ( Melicope vitiflora ), and they will also accept the foliage of: Oranges, Lemons, etc. ( Citrus species ), all of RUTACEAE.“  The adult butterfly is a beautiful metallic blue butterfly with tails on the hind wings.  When a caterpillar is found on a plant, it is a very good indication that the plant is being eaten.

papilio ulysses stamp 300x214 Blue Mountain Swallowtail Caterpillar, Papilio ulysses, from Australia

Ulysses Swallowtail postage stamp 2003

The Butterfly Corner website has nice photos of mounted specimens, and this species is quite popular in decorative collections, but we much prefer the photographs of the living specimens on the Wildlife Australia website. The adult Blue Mountain Swallowtail or Ulysses Swallowtail has been depicted on at least four Australian postage stamps including the two we are including in this posting.

papilio ulysses stamp 2 300x207 Blue Mountain Swallowtail Caterpillar, Papilio ulysses, from Australia

Ulysses Swallowtail postage stamp 1998

Posted 16 January 2011 § swallowtail caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Monarch Caterpillars

Daniel, We have baby monarchs

Location: South Pasadena, CA
January 3, 2011 12:44 am
Since I planted the milkweed a few years ago, I’ve had occasional monarch butterfly visitors, and a single caterpillar last summer. Then a few days ago I started finding these. I counted at least eight of them in two different sizes. This is pretty exciting for me. It doesn’t seem like the right season, but I guess they know better.
Signature: Barbara

monarch cat barbara 300x240 Monarch Caterpillars

Monarch Caterpillar

Hi Barbara,
This is really exciting.  Congratulations on your good fortune.  We would love to know what species of milkweed you are growing in Southern California and where you acquired your plants.

monarch cat barbara 3 300x181 Monarch Caterpillars

Monarch Caterpillar

I got the milkweed at a Huntington Library plant sale.  I’ve lost the tag, and I don’t remember what species it is, but it has nice red and yellow flowers and seeds like crazy.  The birds and bugs like it, and it’s quite pretty most of the time if I trim off many of the seed pods.  I’d be happy to give you some seedlings which pop up everywhere there’s a little water.

monarch cat barbara 2 300x206 Monarch Caterpillars

Monarch Caterpillar

Hi Barbara,
I in no means mean to disparage the Huntington which is a marvelous garden and resource for the public, but if they have milkweed, it is probably an exotic species from a faraway land.  I was hoping to hear that you got your milkweed from the Theodore Payne Society, a non profit organization in Sun Valley that sells native plants.  I may do a book signing there this spring.  I am currently working towards trying to preserve our local milkweeds.  Clare Marter Kenyon, a local activist who was behind the City of Los Angeles’ Protected Native Tree Ordinance, formerly the Oak Tree Ordinance, informs me that there are three species of native milkweeds in Elyria Canyon Park in Mt Washington, and I plan to try to propagate them.  I have never seen a Monarch on the milkweeds in Elyria Canyon Park, but there are always Large Milkweed Bugs on them.
ProtectedTreeOrd
Daniel

Ed. Note: January 5, 2010
Clare Marter Kenyon just sent us this link: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2011/01/milkweed-for-butterflies.html

Update: May 3, 2011
Obtaining Native Milkweed
May 3, 2011 9:44 am
Dear Bugman,
I was reading your tag on Monarchs and milkweed (asclepias).  If you havent found sources yet, there are some great native nurseries throughout the state (check www.cnps.org for a thorough list).  One near LA is Las Pilitas Nursery, www.laspilitas.com, they have great photos and information.  The SF Bay area has Annies Annuals (where I purchased my milkweed).  Both of these companies are responsible propogaters and have excellent mailorder service. I have my first crop of Narrow leaf milkweed (asclepias fascicularis)growing in this year.  We may only get a few monarchs drifting in but many insects enjoy it. Kudos and thank you for getting out the word that our monarchs need Native milkweed to thrive.  I consider it far lovelier than the tropical variety.  Before I knew better I had tropical milkweed planted and all it attracted was flies!
Signature: Colleen Clark

Posted 03 January 2011 § brush footed butterfly caterpillars ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged: ,

Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar in Hawaii

Hawaiian Caterpillar
Location: Waialua, Hawaii 96791
January 2, 2011 1:45 am
Hi, I live in Waialua on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. I’ve noticed that some thing has been chewing up the leaves of some of the plants in my yard, and today I caught one red handed (or mouthed, as it were) in a planter on my front porch.I think that it might be the larvae of the Kamehameha butterfly (Vanessa tameame), but I’m not sure. I’d really appreciate any help in pinpointing the species as I’ve recently become rather interested in putting a name to some of the interesting creatures that I see on the island.
Signature: fightingforward

gulf fritillary cat hawaii 300x141 Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar in Hawaii

Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar

Dear fightingforward,
Your caterpillar is not that of the Kamehameha Butterfly, but of the Gulf Fritillary.  Both are in the Brush Footed Butterfly family Nymphalidae, and many butterflies in this family have caterpillars with short spines, so your error is understandable.  The Gulf Fritillary is not native to Hawaii.  It is found in North America, Central America and South America, and its range has increased with the cultivation of its food plant, the Passionflowers in the genus Passiflora.  It is our understanding that many species of plants from this genus are problematic in Hawaii where they are not native and they easily naturalize because of the climate.  The Gulf Fritillary was introduced to Hawaii along with the introduction of the plants.  You can compare your image to photos of the caterpillar of the Gulf Fritillary that are posted to BugGuide, and you can see some examples of the adult butterfly on the Insects of Hawaii website.

Comment from Keith Wolfe
Value Added (I hope)
Aloha Fightingforward,
If you want to attract Hawaii’s state insect to your yard (I believe the Kamehameha butterfly, Vanessa tameamea, still occurs on O‘ahu), purchase several māmaki (Pipturus albidus) plants from a local garden shop or nursery.  With time and luck, you may really see the beautiful adult and its handsome caterpillar, which graced the Spring 2007 cover of “Ka ‘Elele”: http://www.bishopmuseum.org/membership/kaelele/spring07.pdf.
Best wishes,
Keith

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

Crab Spider eats Monarch Caterpillar in Canadian Milkweed Patch

Life (and death) in a milkweed patch
December 28, 2010
Location:  Manitoba Birds Hill Provincial Park, Canada
Hi Daniel:
Every July tens of thousands of people descend on Manitoba’s Birds Hill Provincial Park for one of Canada’s, and North America’s, oldest and largest folk festivals (we haven’t missed it for more than 30 years!). In 2006 I discovered the most impressive milkweed patch I have ever seen, wedged between a parking lot and an oak forest, and was thrilled with the abundant and diverse bug life I found there. To my dismay, however, I then watched the patch get systematically destroyed over the next few days as festival goers heedlessly drove and parked all over the patch in an effort to get closer to the shade provided by the adjacent trees. This is generally a ‘green’ crowd so I think it happened more out of ignorance than callousness, but the result was the same. When the same thing happened in 2007 I decided something needed to be done. So I contacted both park and festival staff to plead my case for the protection of this incredible island of diversity, particularly since it is located in the middle of a provincial park.

milkweed patch karl 300x206 Crab Spider eats Monarch Caterpillar in Canadian Milkweed Patch

Milkweed Patch Saved

When we arrived for the 2008 festival I went straight to the patch and was delighted to see the whole area cordoned off, as it has been every year since. Unfortunately, 2008 was one of our coldest wettest summers in recent memory and the milkweeds were barely knee-high and not flowering. The next year was almost as bad, but in 2010 our glorious summer weather returned and the milkweeds were nearly chest high and flowering profusely – and the bug watching was spectacular! The attached photo of what I believe is a Xysticus punctatus Crab Spider finishing off a hapless Monarch caterpillar is one of my favourites from 2010. The other two photos show the milkweed patch after the 2007 festival, and protected in 2010. If you or any of your readers are interested, I have uploaded a collection of photos taken at this location since 2006 (with more to follow next year, I am sure). I am still working on some of the identifications and I am not certain about some of the ones I have inserted, so any comments or suggestions would be welcomed and appreciated. Regards.  Karl

xysticus punctatus monarch cat karl 2010 300x206 Crab Spider eats Monarch Caterpillar in Canadian Milkweed Patch

Crab Spider eats Monarch Caterpillar

Hi Karl,
We love hearing how your conservation activism made a difference.  You did not attach any images, so we took the liberty of lifting a few from your web posting.  We might be interested in posting a few more butterflies and dragonflies if you give permission.  We especially love the Milkweed Meadow as an important and diverse ecosystem, and we recently created a unique tag for postings related to Milkweed.

xysticus punctatus monarch cat karl 2010 2 300x206 Crab Spider eats Monarch Caterpillar in Canadian Milkweed Patch

Crab Spider eats Monarch Caterpillar

Thanks for bailing me out Daniel; I forget my attachments all the time. These were the files I was going to send but I am also fine with what you put up (although I suppose they don’t quite match the text).  Go ahead and borrow anything you like, or let me know if you have anything specific in mind. I have thousands of photos that I have been meaning to organize and perhaps upload, but I just haven’t been able to find the time. Perhaps next year.  Have a great new year! K

milkweed patch 2007 karl 300x222 Crab Spider eats Monarch Caterpillar in Canadian Milkweed Patch

Destroyed Milkweed Patch in 2007

Thanks for sending additional images Karl.  We have posted the 2007 image with the mutilated Milkweed Patch to accompany the original posting.  We will let you know if we post any of your other wonderful images.

Posted 28 December 2010 § brush footed butterfly caterpillars § Crab Spiders ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: ,

Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar

Caterpillar that screams don’t eat me!
Location: Venice, CA 90291
December 27, 2010 5:04 pm
Dear WhatsThatBug,
I saw this bold caterpillar walking west toward the beach in sunny Venice Beach, California. The caterpillar was fairly large, about half a pinkey length and the first think I noticed about it was its beautiful red/blue stripes along its back and its fierce black spikes. Any idea what type of caterpillar this Venice Beach visitor/local might be? Hope you enjoy the photo and happy holidays!
Signature: Venice Todd

gulf fritillary cat todd 300x192 Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar

Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar

Hi Todd,
This is a Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar, the immature stage of one of the most common butterflies in Southern California.  The Caterpillar of the Gulf Fritillary feeds exclusively on the leaves of the passionflower vine, a common introduced plant, and the introduction of the plant in areas with warmer climates is responsible for the range expansion of the butterfly.  It is our understanding that both the butterfly and food plant are native to Mexico, Central America and South America, but the religious symbolism of the flower has led to its cultivation in warmer areas of the United States, and that cultivation has allowed the pretty orange butterfly to also expand its range.  Since this individual caterpillar was not found on the plant, it is a likely bet that it is about to metamorphose into a chrysalis.  When the caterpillars are mature, an oxymoron since the caterpillar is actually the immature stage of the mature butterfly, it leaves its food plant and searches for an appropriate site to transform into a stationary chrysalis.

4

Posted 28 December 2010 § brush footed butterfly caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °

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