I didn’t see these caterpillars on your site…
Hello,
I’ve been able to identify many bugs from your site, thanks. But these two, which were both crawling on the same plant, I can’t find on your site. I was happy to find one in the bushes and even happier to see two at the same time! I was wondering if they might belong to the same family. They look similar to a Black Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillar you have posted, but the color patterns are different. Maybe one is a male and the other a female?? I’m located in northern Florida, next to the south GA border. I just found them today (9/17/07). Thanks,
Ann
Hi Ann,
You couldn’t find your Zebra Swallowtail Caterpillar, Eurytides marcellus, on our website because your photo is the first we have received of Zebra Swallowtail Caterpillars. The food plant is listed as pawpaw, and the leaves on the plant in your photo look considerably thinner than the leaves in the photos on BugGuide.
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Posted 17 September 2007
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Interesting Critter
Hi there,
My neighbor referred me to your site when I showed her these strange little creatures that have taken up residence on my orange tree. They’ve probably been there since last year when I first noticed the “snail trail” they leave on the leaves. I never found the bugs and the local nursery wasn’t able to identify the bug that might leave the snail trail. It nearly killed my orange tree last year. So this year everything was going along swimmingly, my orange tree has quite a bounty of fruit, but I started seeing the snail trails again. I’ve been trimming off the affected leaves as I see them. In hunting out damaged leaves I came across a whole branch in the very back of the tree that was covered with these guys. I thought they were bird poop at first! They really look like it. But on closer inspection I realized they were way too uniform and then I see it looks like they even have a face!! Like little dragons. One even reared its head as I was trying to take the picture. Any ideas? Thanks so much.
Susan
Hi Susan,
You have two different unrelated caterpillars here. The caterpillar that resemble bird poop are Giant Swallowtails, lovely large brown and yellow butterflies whose caterpillars are known as Orange Dogs. The snail’s trail is being made by the Citrus Leaf Miner, Phyllocnistis citrella, the caterpillar of a tiny moth that feeds on the tissues between the epideral layers of the leaves of citrus trees.
Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) developmental series
Hi Lisa Anne and Daniel,
Glad to see that you are keeping up your great work with your website. Last year I submitted some picture series about the development of butterflies. This year I would like to share my Giant Swallowtail shots with you.
I found 6 caterpillars on Prickley Ash during the summer in Wisconsin, and breeding this species is a wonderful experience. My girlfriend Megan will be delighted to see “her” caterpillar on your page, which she got as a present from me to encourage her slightly increasing interested in bugs. Keep up the great job! Best wishes from Madison/Wisconsin,
Thomas Werner
Hi Thomas,
Thanks for sending us your wonderful Giant Swallowtail metamorphosis images.
caterpillars I live in Fort Worth, TX and found this green, horned caterpillar on my coral honeysuckle. I think it’s a hummingbird clearwing, but am looking for clarification on that. I have not seen any of the moths flying around. I’m also sending a picture of a giant swallowtail caterpillar because I didn’t see any pictures of them on your site and thought you might be interested. It’s on the rue which is also greatly populated by black swallowtails. Love your website! Thanks,
Jeanne
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| Snowberry Clearwing Caterpillar |
Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar |
Hi Jeanne,
The Caterpillar you suspect is a Hummingbird Clearwing is another species in the same genus, the Snowberry Clearwing, Hemaris diffinis. Your other caterpillar is correctly identified as a Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar.
Early instar of swallowtail?
Hello -
I love your site – I am amazed at what people will put in their hands. Anyway, I have been using the fab book Caterpillars of Eastern North America to try and identify some caterpillars in my veggie garden in Southern New Jersey but think I have become a bit to eagle eyed as they are all very small and none of them seem to be in the book! I think I am not versed enough in the various instars and color variations that caterpillars can come in. This is the most recent caterpillar my husband and I have found. She was on a dill plant that is smooshed between tomato plants. She appeared on June 25 in the evening. Only about 1/2″ long. The white bands in the middle are really throwing me. Who is she? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Jessica Ferguson
Woodbury, NJ
Hi Jessica,
Caterpillars undergo five instars, each followed by a molt. The fifth molt results in the chrysalis stage. Each of the five caterpillar instars results in a larger size, and in some species, a radically different appearance. This early Black Swallowtail instar looks nothing like the fifth instar caterpillar with the distinctive black and green stripes and yellow spots.
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Posted 25 June 2007
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Black Swallowtail Caterpillar
Hey Bugman,
I used your site to identify this little guy. Thought you might like this for your collection…. was taken in Shavertown, Pennsylvania You can also check out my flickr site… were I have other bug pics there. if you want any for your site…. let me know.
Chris Campbell
Hi Chris,
Though we just posted another photo of a Black Swallowtail Caterpillar, we couldn’t resist posting yours as well since it is so gorgeous, detailed and surreal.
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Posted 23 June 2007
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Black Swallowtail Caterpillar Not Happy!
Hi,
Thanks to your site I was not alarmed when I disturbed this caterpillar. I had already identified him & thought you’d like to see him in action. Warm regards,
Donna
PS He put out quite a stink as well!
Hi Donna,
In the event some of our readers don’t know what you are talking about, we should inform them that Swallowtail Caterpillars have a fleshy organ that resembles horns that is normally retracted, but can be everted when the caterpillar is disturbed. The organ emits an odor that some predators, and you as well, find offensive.
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Posted 23 June 2007
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Looks like a yellow caterpillar
Can you tell me what this insect is? It was found crawling around on a pile of firewood in Evansville, IN.
Tammy
Hi Tammy
This is a Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar.
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Posted 20 June 2007
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Caterpillar?
This was located on our fruit tree. What is it? And is it harmful or helpful?
Mark
Hi Mark,
Harmful and helpful are so relative. Are Preying Mantids harmful or helpful? They probably eat more pollinating insects than they do insects that are injurious to plants, yet they are considered beneficial in the garden. Honey Bees and butterflies might tend to disagree with that classification. This is an Orange Dog, the caterpillar of the Giant Swallowtail. In the scheme of things, the caterpillars eat leaves from citrus trees, but they do not harm the fruit. The caterpillars are rarely so numerous as to do harm to the tree. Eventually, the Orange Dog will metamorphose into a lovely butterfly. Our vote is on the helpful side, but we have a long standing record of voting for political candidates who lose the election. The horns that are visible in your image are a retractable scent gland known as the osmeterium. This caterpillar uses that scent gland as well as mimicing bird droppings to avoid being eaten.
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Posted 07 June 2007
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What kind of bug am I?
Hello,
These caterpillars have eaten my Fennel Plant. Are they future butterflies?
Thanks,
Donna Magnuso
Hi Donna,
There are two very similar looking Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillars with nearly identical food plants. The Anise Swallowtail, Papilio zelicaon, is found in the Western U.S. The Black Swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes, is found in the east. Depending upon your location, your caterpillar is one of these, though our guess is the Anise Swallowtail.
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Posted 02 June 2007
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brown caterpillar with blue dots found in Chaparral, NM
Dear Bugman:
We found this caterpillar heading from a flowerbed to our vegetable garden in Chaparral, NM. Is it a Elephant Hawk-moth? Should we be concerned for our veggies?
Thank you for all your help,
Susan and Rick
Hi Susan and Rick,
This is a Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar. It is getting ready to pupate, hence the brown coloration. It is normally green. It probably left the tree it was feeding upon and is searching for a pupation location.
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Posted 20 May 2007
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