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Camo Bug
Sat, Oct 11, 2008 at 1:48 PM
I found this character hiding in a willow tree today. He hooks his tail around like a scorpion in a treatening manner when I stroked his back with a leaf.
Wondering in Waplole
Walpole MA
White Furcula Caterpillar
Dear Wondering,
Your caterpillar is one of the Prominent Moth Caterpillars, most probably the White Furcula, Furcula borealis, based on images posted to BugGuide.
LARGE Caterpillar
Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 9:32 AM
I found this 8 inch long black caterpillar in my pool skimmer. It is the size of a cigar, has a green face and a green antennae poking up from it’s butt. And it stinks! We live in North Jeannine,
Phoenix, Arizona
Incense Cedar Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Jeannine,
Though we question the exact size of your caterpillar, we will agree that Sphinx Moth Caterpillars can get quite large. We suspect this may be an Incense Cedar Sphinx Caterpillar, Sphinx libocedrus . Except for the color of the horn, it seems to match the dark form of
the caterpillar on Bill Oehlke’s website. We are going to copy Bill Oehlke on our reply as he is compiling comprehensive data on species distribution. We also hope he will confirm our identification.
Daniel,
Thank you for keeping me in check. I was so impressed with it’s size and smell, that I was too excited to remember to take a pic with a ruler. So you are quite right, it is “only” about 5 1/2 inches long. I’ve attached the pic I took this AM with my tape measure. And if you could copy me on Bill’s response to your e-mail, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for the info!
Jeannine
Daniel,
I think it is an unusual dark Manduca rustica. I am going to send it and another similar one I received couple weeks ago, also from Arizona, to Jim Tuttle. Will let you know.
Bill Oehlke
Thanks Daniel,
Don’t know if I emailed you but Jim Tuttle has confirmed the dark larva found in swimming pool in Arizona as Manduca rustica.
Bill Oehlke
Imperial Moth Caterpillar
Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 5:39 PM
The rangers at the tool shed at the Crater of Diamonds in southern Arkansas had captured this caterpillar and were asking everyone if they knew what it was.
I didn’t know, but I knew where to find out.
I hope this image is better than the one you have, but nevertheless I turned them all on to your incredible site. Pic taken near the first of October.
Mike Green
Southern Arkansas
Imperial Moth Caterpillar
Thanks Mike,
We don’t like to consider one image better than another, just different.
Same Individual, Different Submission???
Large caterpillar found at park
Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Large caterpillar found at park
I work at a state park in southwest Arkansas and recently had a visitor bring in a very large caterpillar (about four inches long) he had found while exploring. Several people took photos of the beautiful specimen, and many offered guesses as to what it could be. As my particular park is more geologically-focused, I regret to say I was not able to accurately identify the caterpillar for its finder. It was very lively, walking across our table, and had powerful legs and mandibles. I released the caterpillar onto a sweetgum tree on the park premises. I have browsed through numerous photos, hoping to find exactly what type it may be. The closest I have come is a luna moth caterpillar, but none of the photographs I have seen depict exactly the same features as this caterpillar. Can you help out?
Waymon
southwest Arkansas
Imperial Moth Caterpillar
Hi Wayman,
We have a sneaky suspicion that your co-worker Mike submitted an image of the same Imperial Moth Caterpillar. In the spirit of equity, we are posting both of your photos.
Unidentified Caterpillars
Tue, Oct 7, 2008 at 9:26 PM
Hi! I found this first caterpillar in Cap-aux-Os, on September 4th, during a trip in the region of Gaspésie (Eastern Québec, Canada). Back home, I was surprised to find a very simillar caterpillar, 20 days later, this time in Sainte-Émélie-de-l’Énergie (an hour north of Montreal). I am sending pictures of both caterpillars. I hope you can help me identify them. Thank you!
Béatrice
Québec (Canada)
Fingered Dagger Moth Caterpillar
Hi Beatrice,
Both of your caterpillars look like Fingered Dagger Moth Caterpillars, Acronicta dactylina, also called the Alder Dagger Moth Caterpillar. According to BugGuide, the species is “uncommon but widely distributed” and describes the caterpillar as: “Larva: body covered with stiff orange or brown hair dorsally, and pale yellowish or white hair laterally, with several much longer black hairs and white hairs concentrated near the front and back (may also have three dense dorsal tufts of long black hair on abdominal segments 1, 3, and 
.”
Fingered Dagger Moth Caterpillar
Need ID on this caterpillar
Found this caterpillar on my sages and coyote mints eats leafs and builds nest at base of plants. About 1/2″ long. Located in Southern California
Second picture is another caterpillar I found in my backyard
Dennis
Brea California
Inchworm
Hi Dennis,
One of the caterpillars is and Inchworm or Spanworm in the family Geometridae. We are not sure of the exact species as there are numerous similar looking caterpillars posted to BugGuide. We have a similar looking caterpillar that defoliates the new growth on our Matilija Poppy each spring.
Black Arch Caterpillar
Dear bugman,
I found this Black Arch caterpillar while frolicking in Shenandoah National Park. I’ve read somewhere that they are rare to unusual, but they are everywhere out here! I’ve greatly appreciated your help in the past and thought you’d like to add this picture to your collection.
Holly
Shenandoah National Park, VA
Black Arches Caterpillar
Hello Holly,
We are happy our site proved helpful with your identification. It seems like the Black Arches Caterpillar, Melanchra assimilis, is correct. We did some internet research and found some information. The Butterflies and Moths of North America website indicates a very small reported range in Montana. BugGuide shows more extensive data, reporting the species from Montana, Minnesota, Maine and New Hampshire, but on the information page for the species, BugGuide indicates that it ranges to Virginia. It is also indicated that the species is “uncommon to rare, according to Charles Covell ” and later in uncredited information that ‘larvae feed on bracken, sweetfern, goldenrod, st. johnswort, alder, ash, birch, willow. Wagner lists also aster, goldenrod, mullein, raspberry, and tamarack and concludes “primarily a generalist on low-growing plants.’ ” We find it odd that the caterpillar would be rare with such an extensive list of food plants. If you say they were very numerous, perhaps the real explanation is that the populations are highly localized and may be quite plentiful where they are found. We found the previous posting on our site that you credited with providing your identification. We are very excited to see if a new feature that our web host has provided for our site works properly. Now, the five closest matching posts will appear as links with your post, which should lead our readership to other posts of the same species.
Catapillar
This creature could be found in Japan pretty much on anything from peach tree to persimmon, even sometimes cherry bloosoms in groups…. and very very poisoness in case the appearance didn’t suggest it(if you touch it, you feel like you have been burned with branding iron). I’d like to know the english name for the beast and what does he turns into??
Kouta Shimazaki
Japan
Stinging Slug Caterpillar from Japan
Hi Kouta,
We haven’t the time to get you an exact species name right now, but we can provide you with some information. Your caterpillar bears a striking resemblance to a North American species known as the Saddleback Caterpillar which is depicted on BugGuide. Saddleback Caterpillars are in the family Limacodidae, the Slug Caterpillar Moths. Many Slug Caterpillars have stinging spines. Perhaps someone will write in with a comment and correctly identify your exact species. It may not have an English name, but if you don’t mind a more general group name, Slug Caterpillar should suffice. Slug Caterpillar Moths are generally brown with subtle markings. You can also see photos of adult moths from North America on BugGuide.
Mystery caterpillar
This caterpillar is 2-1/4″ long. Feeding on goldenrod.
Carole
Maryland (Washington DC suburbs)
Brown Hooded Owlet Caterpillar
Hi Carole,
Your Caterpillar is a Brown Hooded Owlet Moth Caterpillar, Cucullia convexipennis. The caterpillar is much more colorful than the relatively drab moth.
Sphinx Moth?
I saw this caterpillar on a blueberry bush in a meadow in Shenandoah. I know for sure that it is a sphinx moth caterpillar, but I’m having trouble pinpointing the species. I’ve looked through your website and guidebooks but with no luck. Since it was eating the blueberry leaves, I’m guessing that it might be a Huckleberry Sphinx?
Thank you! Your site has been a wonderful source for identifying all the bugs I come across. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Holly
Blinded Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Holly,
Your caterpillar is a Blinded Sphinx Caterpillar, Paonias excaecata. Many times this caterpillar is green, but BugGuide has examples of this mottled color variation. Bill Oehlke’s very comprehensive Sphingidae site does not depict this color variation. As he is currently compiling comprehensive data on species distribution, we are copying him on this reply. He may also request permission to post your photo to his site.
Io Moth Caterpillar
My son found this caterpillar on a bush when playing outside. I homeschool my boys and we love to find caterpillars, identify them and then watch them change into their final stage. Thankfully, my boys did NOT touch this spiky little guy because I believe it is a Io Moth Caterpillar and have read that touching them can be painful. Any other info you might have about this fascinating creature would be very appreciated. The moth is beautiful and I really hope we’ll get to see it!
South Eastern PA
Korin Sutherland
Io Moth Caterpillar
Hi Korin,
Your identification of an Io Moth Caterpillar is correct. Congratulations on being our first posting using our new submission form. The transition to our new and improved website has been less than smooth, but we are fully confident our new site will provide our readership with many new features.
What’s this one?
Hi,
Can you identify these caterpillars we recently found munching on an Aster plant?
We’re located in Santa Fe, NM.
Thanks!
Tom, Chad, Cole, Owen, and Ryan
Hooded Owlet Moth Caterpillar
Hi Tom, Chad, Cole, Owen, and Ryan,
Are you a Basketball Team? Your caterpillar is a Hooded Owlet Moth Caterpillar, most likely the Brown Hooded Owlet Moth, Cucullia convexipennis. According to BugGuide, the caterpillars feed on the leaves and flowers of asters and goldenrod. BugGuide has not received any submissions of the Brown Hooded Owlet Moth from west of the Mississippi River, so perhaps this is another closely related species in the same genus.
Do you know what kind of caterpillar this is? They were on our blueberry bush!
Datana Caterpillars on Blueberry
These are caterpillars in the genus Datana. Datana major, the Azalea Caterpillar is most likely and they appear to be early instars that will get more colorful as they grow and molt. You can read more about this species on BugGuide, where it is reported that they are sometimes found on blueberry leaves. The posture and group grazing of this genus are quite unique.
