Caterpillar on Cornus
Please help me identify this hitchhiker. I found it on a Cornus mas cutting I took from a friend’s garden. He is oriented facing downward on the twig. In the first photo, you can see two ridges coming from either side of his body and coming together along his back, just above another similar protuberance that is just above his tail. The horn above his head has two red-tipped points. He has a very small, round head that is tucked-in under a hood-like structure above his head. He appears to have three different kinds of feet: the front three pairs are small and pointy. The middle four pairs are fleshy. The last pair, near his tail, are small and stubby. I put the Cornus mas cutting with a potted Cornus nuttallii in case he should need more food, but when I checked on him the next day, he was nowhere to be seen. Can you help me identify him, and what he eats? Thanks
Tammy Romero
Hi Tammy,
This is a Redwashed Prominent Caterpillar, Oligocentria semirufescens. According to BugGuide, the caterpillar eats a wide variety of leaves, including “Apple, beech, birch, poplar, oak, maples, roses and willows.” Based on your latter, we can add Cornus to the list.
Odd Caterpillar
Sir,
My son’s and I located this odd looking caterpillar. It is purple and green with horns. It also has silver spikes on it’s back. We were wondering if you would be able to identify what it is. We have attached a few photo’s as well. Thank you for your time.
Michael
Hi Michael,
We are going to very gently inform you about how crucial it is for you to provide us with location information when submitting an identification request. We are certain this is a moth in the genus Syssphinx, most probably the Hubbard’s Small Silkmoth, Syssphinx hubbardi. It ranges from Arizona to West Texas. It is also found in extreme east California and south Nevada. If you live in central Texas, it is probably a closely related species, Syssphinx heiligbrodti.
Mr. Marlos,
I apologize, we live in Tucson, Arizona. I would also like to know if they are poisonous or if they sting.
Michael
Hi again Michael,
Thanks for writing back with your location. These caterpillars neither sting, nor are they poisonous. The frightful appearance is a protective device.
Infestation!
Hi, I live out in the California/Arizona border desert and recently my backyard has been taken over by a caterpillar that I haven’t seen around here before. They’ve been feeding on these creeper weeds that are covering the ground but have yet to disturb my fig tree or any of my other large trees growing near by. I’m not 100% positive what the weeds are but I think some of them are California Burclover and Hare barely, but the majority the caterpillers are on are the skinny weed with purple flowers that has sticky seeds. The closest I could find to look like them were Catalpa Caterpillar but I have no catalpa trees out here. They range in color from mostly black with green or orange spots or stripes, mostly green with some yellow and black spots or stripes, and I’ve even seen a few black and blue bellied ones. Their sizes range from an inch to 3.5″-4″. Just a large assortment of these lill’ guys. If you could please help me properly identify these guys I’d really appreciate it. I’m concerned for my dog, afraid that she might nibble one and I don’t know if their poisonous or not. Thanks for your time and your help!
T.B.M.
Hi T.B.M.,
This is a Whitelined Sphinx Caterpillar. We’vr gotten numerous letters in the past two months from the Southwest from people reporting a huge population explosion of Whitelined Sphinx Caterpillars.
Caterpillar???
Any idea what kind of caterpillar this is? I found it on the front porch of my house in Austin, TX. Thanks!
John
Hi John,
After identifying three Imperial Moth Caterpillars today for readers from Texas, we thought we should post the best of the photographs, and that is yours.
White Lined Sphinx Caterpillar…or not?
Hello there!
I was going through some old photos I have and I came across a photo of a caterpiller i took one day in my backyard. Then curiousity led me to go through your whole caterpilla archive but I couldn’t find one that looks like this one, but from looking at your archive, it resembles a white lined sphinx but they dont have the smaller dots near their head. So, just wondering, am I right or is it something else? By the way, love your site. Had fun looking at exotic bugs! Thanks!
Cheryl (Sydney, Australia)
Hi Cheryl,
We found several websites devoted to Australian caterpillars, but the Sphingidae of Australia website helped us identify your Impatiens Hawk Moth Caterpillar, Theretra oldenlandiae.
Big Red Caterpillar
Can you identify this one? Found on Isle of Hope, Georgia.
Matthew A. Bryan
Hi Matthew,
The Imperial Moth Caterpillar is a highbly variable caterpillar in coloration. We have never seen one this red. Also, the spined dorsal tubercles on second and third thoracic segment on your specimen are a little different than we normally see. A lateral view would have been nice to see on your specimen.
polyphemus caterpillar?
I think from your site that this might be a polyphemus caterpillar, but I couldn’t really tell because the pictures of them weren’t quite sharp enough. So here is my picture. The kids found it in the back yard on September 9 near a maple tree, I believe. We live in Portland, Or. Thanks!
Leah Parker
Hi Leah,
You are correct. This is a Polyphemus Moth Caterpillar. Here is BugGuide’s description of the caterpillar: “Larva: body large, bright green, with red and silvery spots below setae, and oblique yellow lines running through spiracles on abdomen; diagonal streak of black and silver on ninth abdominal segment; head and true legs brown; base of primary setae red, subdorsal and lateral setae have silver shading below; end of prolegs with yellow ring, and tipped in black.” Most of the identifying features cannot be viewed from your camera angle. A lateral view is best. While the Polyphemus Moth Caterpillar might be confused with the Luna Moth Caterpillar in the east, there is nothing similar looking in the western U.S.
what is it
can you identifi this caterpiller we live in alicante spain i have 3 of the on a purlple trumpet like plant. REGARDS
LAURENCE & ELAINE
Hi Laurence and Elaine,
This is a Death’s Head Hawkmoth Caterpillar, Acherontia atropos. It is a species surrounded by myth and superstition, including its appearance in the book and movie “Silence of the Lambs”. We located a wonderful website called Sphingidae of the Western Paleoarctic that has images and information.
Update
October 15, 2009
Hi Daniel,
Hope things are good at your end. I was wondering about why the Death’s Head Hawkmoth citation wasn’t placed in the “Tasty Morsels” category with previous listings.
Thanks,
Dave
Grub on my pointsettia
Can you tell me what type of grub this is? He was the only one on a planted pointsettia plant in my garden in south Florida. I think I’ve narrowed it down to a sphynx moth or hawk moth of some sort, but haven’t been able to find a photo of him in any reference book to more accurately identify him. Thanks,
Brenda
Hi Brenda,
This is an Ello Sphinx Caterpillar, Erinnyis ello. Poinsettia is just one of several plants the highly variable caterpillar feeds upon.
My two sons and I found this amazing caterpillar
Hello there, how are ya?
My two sons and I found this amazing caterpillar in the City of Red Deer, Alberta the other week. We are extremely interested in discovering what is called. Would you be able to help us out with this? Thanks & God bless!
William, Kyle & Daddy
Dear William, Kyle and Daddy,
This is the second Bedstraw Hawkmoth Caterpillar photo we received this week. The other was from Alaska.
I live in Anchorage, AK and found this one rainy day on the flightline. We tried to search the internet to find out what it was but had no luck. Can you help?Meghan
Hi Meghan,
The Bedstraw Hawkmoth Caterpillar, or Gallium Sphinx, Hyles gallii , is one of the few Sphinx Moths found in Alaska. It ranges through much of Canada and Northern Europe. More information can be located on Bill Oehlke’s excellent website.
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