rss Can you id this guy?
Dear Bugman,
Found this critter near the bank of the Potomac River in Brunswick, Maryland on August 5th. He was about an inch and a half to two inches long and he was moving pretty fast. Thanks.
Regards, Harvey
Hi Harvey,
At first we thought you had a Tiger Moth, or a Tussock Moth caterpillar, but now we believe this is an American Dagger Moth, Acronicta americana, one of the Noctuids or Owlet Moths. It feeds on Maple and other hardwood forest tree leaves.
Name that Bug
Hi! I found your site while web searching for the identity of this little critter. He’s easily 5 inches long and we found him in the back yard in eastern PA near NewHope getting ready for a family picnic. I’ll send you a second picture of the full bug.
We have been waiting for the photos of the Hickory Horned Devils, caterpillars of the Royal Walnut Moth, Citheronia regalis, to arrive. This is America’s largest caterpillar, and although fierce looking, it is harmless. It feeds on the leaves of trees like Walnut, Hickory and Persimmon. In the fall, the caterpillar leaves the tops of the trees and climbs to the ground where it will dig and pupate, emerging as an adult moth in the spring. We hope you are releasing your captive.
What kind is it?
Just wanted to know what kind of caterpillar this is. I live in Harford Co., Maryland. My husband found it on a green Japanese maple tree. It had already eaten a few limbs. Not sure if its a moth or butterfly. Thanks,
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
The spines of the Io Moth, Automeris io, caterpillar are mildly poisonous. It is easily recognized because of the red and white stripes. The adult moths have eyespots on their underwings. They are small Silkworm moths, the male with yellow upper wings and female with brownish upper wings. They are sometimes found on corn and other garden crops.
green caterpillar
Bugman,
We found this caterpillar in the yard today and would like to know what type it is. We live in Lafayette, Colorado, near Boulder. We’d like to try to keep this guy in a terrarium for a while, any suggestions?
Thanks, the Heggestads.
Dear Heggestads,
I was unsure exactly what your caterpillar was, but I thought I would try searching what I was assuming was the host plant, the poplar tree. I concluded that you have a Big Poplar Sphinx Caterpillar, Pachysphinx modesta. Here is a site entitled Caterpillars of the Eastern Forests, with a pretty good photo. I would recommend keeping several inches of damp, not wet, soil in the bottom of the terrarium for the caterpillar to dig into when pupation time occurs.
ID help
I would like some help with the attached photo. My first thought is its some sort of egg case. I’ve done a lot of searching on the INTERNET and have asked a few knowledgeable friends with no luck. The photo was taken 08/25/2004 in the Charlotte North Carolina area.
Thanks,
Rod
Hi Rod,
You don’t have an egg case, but a caterpillar. It is a Skiff Moth, Prolimacodes badia, one of the Slug Caterpillars. There are several color variations of the caterpillar, but this site has a photo that closely resembles yours. The caterpillars which can be found from July through October feed on cherries, oaks, and many other woody plants.
New pics
Hey Daniel,
I have a couple specials for you to add to your archives. I seem to be getting better at my photos. The unknown bug was
found in a drift fence array in West Texas, and none of the researchers could figure out what it was. Can you?!
Wendy A.
Hi Wendy,
The Green Sphinx Caterpillar is probably a member of the genus Eumorpha, formerly Pholus. Notice how the head is retracted into the thoracic portion of the body as well as the absence of a caudal horn. We entertain the possibility that it most resembles Eumorpha pandorus in its green form, but the abdominal spots do not appear to be ringed in black in your photo. This is a caterpillar that comes in both a brown and green form. We love your photo of a Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar, Battus philenor. Most photos online show black caterpillars with red fleshy spines. We might be wrong, but we believe there is a red form as well. Your photos really are great.
WTB,
Great site, I’m hooked! I found this amazing creature in Dauphin Co. PA last week in a remote valley area. It was on a type of “bush” fern surrounded by mountain laurel and many other types of ferns in the forest. I know it’s a Sphinx but which one; Laurel, Wild Cherry, Blinded Sphinx? Speaking of blinded, I’m color blind and could use some help here…
Thanks,
chris updegrave
Hi Chris,
I believe you have the larva of the Apple Sphinx, Sphinx gordius. I looked up many websites to find an image that matched your photo, and finally located this site with an image of a parasitized caterpillar that looks like yours. At first I thought your Sphinx had no caudal horn, then I noticed it behind the leaves. It is very distinctive. Though called the Apple Sphinx, the food plants include are apple (Malus), sweetfern (Myrica), Carolina rose (Rosa carolina), blueberry and huckleberry (Vaccinium), white spruce (Picea glauca), American larch (Larix laricina), and alder (Alnus). As you can see, fern is on the list.
My son found this near our home in Croydon Pa. What is it?
Your son found a Polyphemus Moth, Antheraea polyphemus, caterpillar.
I like This