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Achemon Sphinx Caterpillar

Name that bug
Location: Northern California
January 26, 2011 4:42 pm
I found this little guy crawling in my backyard September 2009. Took some pictures of him and put him in the garden. What is it?
Signature: -Kimber

eumorpha cat kimber 300x217 Achemon Sphinx Caterpillar

Achemon Sphinx Caterpillar

Dear Kimber,
Though the caterpillar is highly variable in coloration and markings, we are quite certain that this is the caterpillar of the Achemon Sphinx, Eumorpha achemon.  You may compare you photo to images posted to Bugguide.

Thank you
Kimber Thompson & son

Posted 29 January 2011 § Hornworms ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Spiny Hornworm Caterpillar from South Africa: Lophostethus dumolinii

Green caterpillar south africa
Location: Mpumalanga, South Africa
January 29, 2011 7:14 am
We found this green caterpillar on our tree outside. It is approx. 100mm long x 25mm thick. ictures are with a large bic lighter to illustrate size. We would really like to know what kind of caterpillar it is.
Signature: Green caterpillar

caterpillar south africa 1 300x225 Spiny Hornworm Caterpillar from South Africa: Lophostethus dumolinii

Spined Hornworm from South Africa

Dear Green caterpillar,
We have not had any luck identifying your caterpillar on the World’s Largest Saturniidae Site.  Though we are confident that this is a Silkmoth Caterpillar in the family Saturniidae, the species identification is proving elusive

caterpillar south africa 2 300x225 Spiny Hornworm Caterpillar from South Africa: Lophostethus dumolinii

Sphingidae Caterpillar: Lophostethus dumolinii

We hope that our email to Bill Oehlke will provide an identification.  Can you provide the name of the tree upon which this caterpillar was discovered?

caterpillar south africa bic 300x225 Spiny Hornworm Caterpillar from South Africa: Lophostethus dumolinii

Spiny HornwormCaterpillar from South Africa

Bill Oehlke provides a surprising revelation
Daniel,
I think it is not one of the Saturniidae. I remember being very surprised one time to learn that some of the South African Sphingidae have spines. I am pretty sure it is one of the Sphingidae, but I cannot remember which one.
Bill Oehlke

Ed. Note: We will begin searching this new possibility.

Bill Oehlke finds the ID
Hi Daniel,
The larva is one of the Sphingidae. It is Lophostethus dumolinii. Can you get me a larger image of the larva and the photographer’s email
Bill Oehlke

Thanks so much Bill.  We can provide you with the contact information of the person who submitted the images.  They may have higher resolution files, but we do not.

Ed. Note: We have not had any luck finding images of the caterpillar online, but Biodiversity Explorer identifies Lophostethus umolinii as the Arrow Sphinx Hawkmoth and has an image of the adult moth.

arrow sphinx south africa jeni 300x147 Spiny Hornworm Caterpillar from South Africa: Lophostethus dumolinii

Arrow Sphinx

Dear Daniel,
Thank you for all the trouble you have gone to to find the species of the caterpillar I really appreciate it. Attached are larger images of the caterpillar as found in the tree. I am not too sure what the tree is but will try to look it up in the indigenous south African directory as it is an indigenous plant.  I had to move it to another tree as it was near our animals which would disturb it – I have just checked and it has made a home in the new tree and looks like it is getting ready to cocoon (if that is what you call it). Hopefully I can follow its progress and we can see the end result.
Thanks
Jeni

arrow sphinx south africa jeni 2 300x169 Spiny Hornworm Caterpillar from South Africa: Lophostethus dumolinii

Arrow Sphinx

Hi again Jeni,
Thanks so much for sending the higher resolution images of the Arrow Sphinx.  By clicking on the images to enlarge them, our readership can compare the difference in quality.  The caudal horn is much more apparent in these higher resolution images.

arrow sphinx south africa jeni bic 300x186 Spiny Hornworm Caterpillar from South Africa: Lophostethus dumolinii

Arrow Sphinx

Posted 29 January 2011 § Hornworms ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Velda Pine Moth Caterpillar

Big Bear Caterpillar
Location: Big Bear Lake, CA (San Bernardino National Forest)
January 29, 2011 1:58 am
I saw an interesting looking caterpillar when I was hiking near Big Bear, CA. Later we saw the same type of caterpillar rolling down a hill, doing their best to rid themselves of a bunch of red ants.
Signature: Sat Garcia

velda pine moth caterpillar sat 300x183 Velda Pine Moth Caterpillar

Velda Pine Moth Caterpillar

Dear Sat,
We quickly identified your caterpillar as the Velda Pine Moth Caterpillar, Coloradia velda, on the private World’s Largest Saturniidae Site, and we are linking to images on the Santa Clarita and Northern Los Angeles County Area Butterfly and Moth Site.  You may view dozens of photos documenting the metamorphosis process of the Velda Pine Moth there.  Adult moths do not eat but the gregarious caterpillars feed on the needles of a number of native pines.

Posted 29 January 2011 § Silkworms ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Giant Silkmoth Caterpillar from Rwanda

Jessica’s Pet Caterpillar
On Jan 24, 2011, at 6:07 PM
Location:  Rwanda
“puffy hews”. what kind of beastie will emerge from this rwandan living cactus??
julian thinks he’s a type of moth – a wild silk moth – a saturnidae.
Clare

caterpillar rwanda jessica 300x219 Giant Silkmoth Caterpillar from Rwanda

Giant Silkmoth Caterpillar

Hi Clare,
I agree with Julian that this is a Giant Silkmoth Caterpillar, family Saturniidae (you dropped an i and failed to capitalize the family name).  I have been unable to match it to any Rwandan species on the World’s Largest Saturniidae Site, so I have contacted Bill Oehlke who oversees that website to see if he is able to provide any information.

Bill Oehlke responds
Daniel,
I am pretty sure it is one of the Imbrasia species. That genus has been divided into Imbrasia and Gonimbrasia, and Gonimbrasia genus has been further divided into Gonimbrasia and Nudaurelia subgenera.
I think in the next few years there will be a few more genera/subgenera added. Currently, I would say it is Gonimbrasia (Nudaurelia) dione, but I have been advised there are probably many new species that will be described in the next little while as a result of DNA barcoding.
Dione has an all black larvae with yellow spinage and white spiracular ovals, and it likely flies in Rwanda. I have never seen a published list of Saturniidae species found in Rwanda.
The list I have composed is largely based on interpolations from lists sent to me by Thierry Bouyer for other African countries and from internet publishing of specimens for sale. I think Thierry’s information is quite reliable, although subject to the upcoming revisions based on DNA barcoding; the other sources would be less reliable.
There currently is nothing more reliable in print or on the internet, at least not so far as I have seen.
Is it possible she can provide a larger image?

Ed. Note:
We are inquiring about a larger image.  Meanwhile, we did locate links to the adult moth on Thorne’s Insects Shoppe and on FlickR where it is also represented on the Moths Tanzania page.  There are also photos of the adult moth on an African Moths website we located.

Hi Daniel,
List of foodplants on Gonimbrasia (Nudaurelia) dione file.
If she still has it in Rwanda, use natural hosts. If it is now in US, use US host.
This species does not make a cocoon, but would pupate in a tub between paper towels if treated as per north america earth pupators like regalis.
I would love to see moth if she is successful.

Ed. Note:  Food Plants from WLSS
“Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants listed in Stephen E. Stone’s Foodplants of World Saturniidae and/or on various internet sites. It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.
Aleurites fordii
Aleurites montana
Anacardium occidentale
Bauhinia petersiana
Chlorophora
Diplorhynchus mossambicensis…….
Erythroxylum havanese
Eugenia
Jatropha curcas
Khaya
Mimosa
Psidium
Rhus (RL)
Ricinus communis
Spondias lutea
Theobrama cacao

China wood oil tree
Mu-oil tree
Cashewnut
Kanchan
Muvuli
Diplorhynchus mossambicensis
Erythroxylum havanese
Stopper/Waterboom
Barbados nut/Physic nut
African mahogany
Mimosa
Guava
Sumac
Castor oil bean
Mombin
Cocoa”
Also, the caterpillar is pictured on this postage stamp from Congo.

Imbrasiadionecongostamp 199x300 Giant Silkmoth Caterpillar from Rwanda

Caterpillar on Stamp

great info. a famous caterpillar!
of course, several skin allergy producing food species listed…
jessie – get out the paper towels for puffy hews to pupate – i do hope he is still alive…
i love that it eats ricinus… let’s get some for elyria!
oh, but it eats sumac, too. not so useful!
is mr. oehlke an entomologist?
clare

Posted 25 January 2011 § Silkworms ‡ Comments (0) °

Bagworm from Israel

Bagworm or boxworm?
Location: Wadi Og, Israel
January 23, 2011 6:22 am
Hi WTB,
On my hiking trip this past weekend I came across this bagworm, Amicta quadrangularis, in Wadi Og, just south of Jericho. I think ’Boxworm’ is a more appropriate name, don’t you?
Signature: Ben, from Israel

bagworm israel ben 300x224 Bagworm from Israel

Bagworm

Hi Ben,
Thanks so much for sending us your photo as well as identifying this unusual Bagworm.

Posted 23 January 2011 § Bagworm ‡ Comments (0) °

Underwing Caterpillar

caterpillar ID please
Location: Charlottesville Virginia
January 21, 2011 12:02 pm
I’m stumped on this one; it was found under leafy matter by my daughter last April.
Is there a significance to the underside coloring? Thanks in advance.
Signature: John

underwing cat john 300x235 Underwing Caterpillar

Underwing Caterpillar

Hi John,
This it the caterpillar of an Underwing Moth in the genus Catocala.  Quite fortuitously, BugGuide has a posting that shows both the dorsal view and underside of a similar Underwing Caterpillar.

underwing cat john 2 300x263 Underwing Caterpillar

Underwing Caterpillar

Posted 22 January 2011 § Cutworms and Owlet Caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °

Hornworm from Hawaii: Pink Spotted Hawkmoth Caterpillar

Caterpillar
Location: Honolulu Hawaii
January 21, 2011 7:04 pm
What’s the name of this caterpillar or the butterfly/moth that it will turn into? Never seen one like it in Hawaii. It was about 3inches long and cruising down a hiking road.
Signature: Dan

hornworm hawaii dan 300x205 Hornworm from Hawaii: Pink Spotted Hawkmoth Caterpillar

Unknown Hornworm from Hawaii

Hi Dan,
We actually thought this was going to be an easy identification because this caterpillar is so distinctive and because we know that it it a Hornworm in the family Sphingidae.  The Sphingidae of the Americas website allows us to search by state, and we know Hawaii does not have many species, but alas, several of species and subspecies listed in Hawaii are without photos.  Bill Oehlke who authors the website notes:  “Manduca blackburni, Tinostoma smaragditis, Hyles calida calida, Hyles calida hawaiiensis, Hyles wilsoni perkinsi and Hyles wilsoni wilsoni are endemic species/subspecies (found only on Hawaii).”  Your caterpillar reminds us of members of the the genus Hyles of which there are several species and subspecies in Hawaii, though we would not dismiss the possibility that it might be an unusual color variation of the caterpillar of the Pink Spotted Hawkmoth, Agrius cingulata, which is also found on Hawaii. You can note the similarities to the caterpillar of Hyles lineata on the Sphingidae of the Americas website. The more we ponder this, we are leaning toward this being an unusual color variation of the caterpillar of the Pink Spotted Hawkmoth, Agrius cingulata, because of the markings on the head. The examples of the Pink Spotted Hawkmoth Caterpillar on the Sphingidae of the Americas website have decidedly different colors and markings than your individual, but that is still our best guess. We are going to enlist the assistance of Bill Oehlke on this query by copying him on our reply.  We suspect he may request permission to post your photo to his website as well.

confirmation from Bill Oehlke
Hi Daniel,
You are correct. It is the highly variable Agrius cingulata.
Bill Oehlke

Posted 22 January 2011 § Hornworms ‡ Comments (0) °

White Ringed Atlas Moth Caterpillar from South Africa

huge green cattepillar
Location: Hazyview, Mpumalanga, South Africa
January 19, 2011 8:22 am
I found this green catterpillar on a tree on our farm in Hazyview South Africa. I only found this one. It was about 10cm long and easily 1.5cm in diameter. It had yellow spikes along its body with a few blue spikes on its head. It looks very similar (except for the colours) to like a catterpilar of some kind of emperor moth? do you have a clue?
Signature: Leonie

epiphora mythimnia south africa leonie 300x181 White Ringed Atlas Moth Caterpillar from South Africa

White Ringed Atlas Moth Caterpillar

Dear Leonie,
This was one of the quickest identifications we have ever made of an unknown species that was emailed to us.  We immediately recognized your caterpillar as a member of the family Saturniidae, the Giant Silkmoths, and we tried the World’s Largest Saturniidae website that we have a membership to.  Going to South African species, the first try struck the jackpot with Epiphora mythimnia, but since we cannot link to the World’s Largest Saturniidae website, we needed to find corroboration elsewhere.  WLSS states:  “The White-ringed Atlas, Epiphora mythimnia (wingspan: 105-130mm), is one of the few Attacini in Southern Africa. It flies in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe.“  There is a photo of the caterpillar and the moth on the Lepidoptera Breeders Association website. The adult moth is pictured on the African Moths website and we have an example in our archives as well.

epiphora mythimnia south africa leonie 2 300x263 White Ringed Atlas Moth Caterpillar from South Africa

White Ringed Atlas Moth Caterpillar

Dear Daniel
Thank you very much for your quick response.  I have seen the moths around twice only.  They are beautiful you must admit!
God Bless
Leonie

Posted 19 January 2011 § Silkworms ‡ Comments (0) °

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