black caterpillar with yellow stripes and red ends (Brazil)
November 6, 2009
Hello!
I spotted this huge caterpillar here in Rio de Janeiro and now I wonder what it is, and if it will turn into some beautiful butterfly one day! Can you help me? Thank you!
Anne
Brazil, Rio de Janeiro
Tetrio Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Anne,
This gorgeous caterpillar is a Tetrio Sphinx, Pseudosphinx tetrio. It feeds on Plumeria. It is primarily a Caribbean and South American species, but it is also found in Florida and other southern states. You may read more about the Tetrio Sphinx on Bill Oehlke’s excellent website.
Large caterpillars
November 2, 2009
Hello-
I found these (2) massive caterpillars in my morning glories this morning. They were on the shady side, I guess that would be north west. They were about three inches long and about half an inch in diameter. I live in Bryan, Texas off West Villa Maria Rd.
Please tell me that they are not some alien invasion trying to take over Texas starting with my house!
Thank you in advance for your reply,
Nadine Harrison
Pink Spotted Hawkmoth Caterpillar
Hi Nadine,
This is a Pink Spotted Hawkmoth Caterpillar, Agrius cingulata. It is a highly variable caterpillar, but Bill Oehlke’s excellent website has one of similar coloration. Feeding on morning glories was a great hint to assist in the identification.
Pink Spotted Hawkmoth Caterpillar
Caterpillar, unknown species
November 1, 2009
We found this very large beautiful orange and blue caterpillar on the ground (dirt) next a wood pile in deep south Texas on November, 1. Weather is clear and temperature is about 70 degrees. Can you tell us if this becoimes a moth and if so what type? There are very large brown moths in this area this time of the year. We no nothing of their species, etc.
Floyd Woods
Mission, TX
Ficus Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Floyd,
This is the caterpillar of the Fig Sphinx, Pachylia ficus. We suspect there is a fig tree nearby and that the Fig Sphinx Caterpillar has spent the season feeding on the leaves, unnoticed. It has left the tree to burrow underground where it will pupate. The adult moths are streamlined creatures with olive brown upper wings and striped underwings. You can see images of the adult moth on Bill Oehlke’s wonderful website. We love the photo showing the tiny horn. Sphinx Caterpillars are often called Hornworms, and the Ficus Sphinx has a tiny horn as the family characteristic goes.
Ficus Sphinx Caterpillar
HUGE caterpillar
November 1, 2009
I found this big guy on a sweetgum tree and would love to know what kind he is. He’s very big and beautiful. Thanks
Martha
Lindale, TX
Imperial Moth Caterpillar
Hi Martha,
Your caterpillar is an Imperial Moth. After pupating underground, it will emerge as a lovely large yellow and purple moth.
imperial moth catepillar?
November 1, 2009
this guy fell off a night blooming cereus plant. 11/01/09. i put him in the pot and took a few more photos. when i checked on it 20 minutes later it was gone. buried in the pot maybe? will this be its ground to pupae stage? will it eat the roots if this is indeed where it went?
Cathy Saunders
Longview Tx
Imperial Moth Caterpillar
Hi Cathy,
The only question we are able to answer for certain is to confirm that this is an Imperial Moth Caterpillar. Finding it on the cactus plant is unusual and we would not expect that it was feeding there. It may have buried itself in the pot where it will not eat the roots (guess we answered a second question), but it may also have wandered off or fallen prey to some hungry bird or other predator.
What is this?
October 30, 2009
I found this caterpillar on my bricks in my flowerbed. I am having a hard time identifying it. please help. Found 10/30/2009 in Houston TX
Brandy
SE Texas
Tersa Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Brandy,
This is a Tersa Sphinx Caterpillar. We get numerous reports of them feeding on Penta.
Western Tiger Swallowtail catepillar
October 27, 2009
I was wondering why the leaves of my penta plant were disappearing. Then this morning I found these “eyes” staring at me. At first I thought it was a plastic toy! What an amazing critter.
Marabelle
Sugar Land, TX
Tersa Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Marabelle
Though it resembles a Western Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar, your critter is a Tersa Sphinx Caterpillar. The Swallowtail has one set of eyespots, while the Tersa Sphinx has numerous eyespots. The Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar does not have a caudal horn, and the Tersa Sphinx does possess a caudal horn. Sphinx Moth caterpillars are often called Hornworms. Penta is a typical food plant for the Tersa Sphinx Caterpillar.
Please help ID this Caterpillar.
October 18, 2009
I am truly flummoxed about what this Caterpillar is, even after throughly Googling it, looking through my extensive “Caterpillar of N. America field guide, and posting pics of it to another site (Bugguide.net, where the closest ID was “Owlet Moth”…but none of the Owlet Caterpillars look like this). The plant it is on (and ingesting) is “Golden-Aster” (Heterotheca latifolia). It has a series of color combinations and sizes(perhaps ‘instars’?), but all individuals of the largest size look like the pics I am attaching. Dozens showed up suddenly on the plants that grow in very sandy soil all around where I live. I have found them in other N. Texas (Dallas-Ft. Worth) areas. ID help would be appreciated.
Tzila “Z” Duenzl
Horseshoe Bend, Weatherford, Texas
Hooded Owlet Moth Caterpillar
Dear Tzila,
This is an Owlet Moth Caterpillar, more specifically, a Hooded Owlet Moth Caterpillar in the genus Cucullia, probably the Brown Hooded Owlet, Cucullia convexipennis, which can be viewed in numerous photos on BugGuide. The food plant aster is corroborating evidence of the identification. Your photos are spectacular.
Hooded Owlet Moth Caterpillar
Ok…thanks Daniel. This was suggested on BugGuide (I submitted my pics for ID – look under “mtwoman”), but when I looked at the BugGuide guide pics of the Brown Hooded Owlet caterpillar, the coloring seemed different enough for me to question that ID. Could the coloring be different (lighter and more orange/yellow than red) because of the instar/age of the caterpillar? Anyway thanks! And thanks for the compliment!! You can see more of my pics on BugGuide under user name “mtwoman” (for “Mountain Woman”).
Tzila “Z” Duenzl
Hooded Owlet Moth Caterpillars are notoriously variable in coloration.
caterpillar
October 19, 2009
Funky worm… you know what it is?
Doug
My backyard on the island of Maui, HI.
Oleander Hawkmoth Caterpillar
Hi Doug,
It doesn’t appear to be feeding on oleander, but it looks like an Oleander Hawkmoth Caterpillar. According to Bill Oehlke’s website, in addition to oleander, the caterpillar is also known to feed on “Minor hostplants are Vinca, Vitis, Gardenia, Asclepias, Jasminum, Trachelospermum, Amsonia, Carissa, Tabernaemontana, Mangifera, Rhazya, Adenium, Catharanthus, Ipomoea and Thevetia. Larvae will also feed on Ligustrum ovalifolium in captivity.“
Very Pretty Caterpillar
October 19, 2009
Hello, I found alot of these caterpillars all living on the same type of weed on my property. They are in various colors. I even found one with wasp eggs attached.
Frankie B Norris
Central Florida
Banded Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Frankie,
The Banded Sphinx, Eumorpha fasciatus, is one of several Sphinx Moths with highly variable caterpillars. Though the darker colorful caterpillar is a version well represented in our archives, we believe the lighter morph is a new color variation that is not represented in our archives. Bill Oehlke’s excellent website illustrates both of these color variations as well as several others. The Banded Sphinx Caterpillars are known to feed on “primrose-willow, Ludwigia (water primrose) and other plants in the evening primrose family (Onagraceae). Grapes also serve as larval hosts.”
Banded Sphinx Caterpillar
yellow caterpillar?
October 16, 2009
Found in a garden in Florence Italy during October of 2009. What is it? Is it bad for plants?
A. Livingston
Florence, Italy
Death's Head Hawkmoth Caterpillar
Dear A. Livingston,
This is the caterpillar of a Death’s Head Hawkmoth, Acherontia atropos, and other than eating some leaves, it is not harmful to the plant it is feeding upon. You may find additional information on the Sphingidae of the Palaearctic website.
Damselfly or not?
October 13, 2009
I found this bug at my grandma’s house. At first I thought he was a dragonfly. He’s brown and has multiple wings. My mom thinks he is a damselfly. Can you help us? also, I am sending 2 pictures of a garden spider and Hickory Horned Devil.
Thanks!
Scarlett
McAlpin, Florida
Hickory Horned Devil
Hi Scarlett,
We already wrote back to you to tell you that the damselfly is actually an Antlion. In trying to select letters for posting today, we would much rather post your photo of the Hickory Horned Devil since we did not receive as many nice photos of this spectacular caterpillar as we have in past years.
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