large pupa Cicada?
This is a picture taken by Missouri Department Of Conservation, we are having trouble IDing this guy. Is it a cicada pupa? Or some type of beetle. Any information you can give will be very helpful. Thank you
Shelly Cox
Savannah,MO
Hi Shelly,
This is the pupa of one of the large Saturnid Moths, often called Giant Silk Moths. It can be distinguished from the Sphinx Moth Pupa, also found underground, due to its robust girth and lack of future mouthparts, the Proboscis. Most Saturnid Moths build some type of cocoon, which eliminates many possible species. We are surmising that perhaps this is a Regal Moth, but your best course of action is to wait for the adult to emerge.
The Bug Lady
Well, I just got lost in my new book, Caterpillars of Eastern North America by Wagner. Wow, that is some awesome book, definitely worth the money. But, unfortunately it didn’t answer my question about the caterpillar that I have been trying to ID. It closely resembles the Hesitant Dagger Moth Caterpillar, Acronicta haesitata on the website Caterpillars of Eastern Forests. Since the different instars can look different, I was convinced that was what it was until I read that there were several different Dagger Moths with similar looking caterpillars. So, unless you can tell me differently, then that is what I’m going to say it is. By the way, you will notice that a lot of the pictures I send you, the caterpillars are on wood. At Lindenwood Nature Preserve, my favorite trail that goes to the pond has 3 boardwalks. That is where I seem to find all the caterpillars. I figure they either fell out of a tree or climbed up from the vegetation under the boardwalk. At any rate, I figure they know where they are going, so I just leave them where I find them.
Judy Whitton, the Bug Lady
Hi again Judy,
We looked at all the Dagger Moth Caterpillars posted on BugGuide, and we think this looks most like the Ovate Dagger Moth, Acronicta ovata.
This is the picture I was going by, I think the spots most look like this one.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/insects/cateast/acrohaes.htm
But like they said, some of the caterpillars are so hard to distinguish apart, you would probably have to raise them to find out what they really are. They don’t allow collecting, so that is not an option for me. LOL Anyways, thanks for looking and hope you enjoy the other link I sent you.
Judy
Hi again Judy,
The new link you provided does look like a match, but the text also mentions the Ovate Dagger Caterpillar looking similar.
Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar
First of all I would like to say how much I enjoy your site. I’ve been interested in entomology for about 40 years, much to my Mom’s dismay during those early years. LOL I do a lot of nature photography and spend lots of time taking pictures of insects and spiders. I have been trying to ID a caterpillar that I have narrowed down to the Hesitant Dagger Moth. I used the Caterpillars of Eastern Forests to get this ID, but they also mentioned that there are several Dagger Moths that have similar looking caterpillars. At any rate, I just ordered Caterpillars of Eastern North America by Wagner. I’ve been wanting a good book to ID caterpillars anyways. If I still don’t get a positive ID from that, I just may be sending you a picture of this caterpillar. In looking through all the caterpillars you have, I thought maybe I could send you a photo from time to time of things you don’t have pictures of. The photo I’m sending you today is the Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar. Definitely one of the coolest caterpillars I’ve found, and be careful if you find one of these they do have stinging spines. Feel free to use this photo on your site. I belong to several photography groups on the internet and when someone posts a picture of an insect or spider, they usually come to me to help them find out what it is. Some of them even call me the bug lady. LOL Wonderful site you have here, keep up the good work!
Judy Whitton aka the “bug lady”
Hi Judy,
Thank you so much for filling a hole in our archives with your photo of the Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar, Euclea delphinii. We are much obliged. We also eagerly await any other deficiencies you choose to fill. Thanks again and have a wonderful day. Though you did not provide us with a location, we are guessing you are in Florida or some other southern state.
Hi Daniel, you are very welcome. I wish I could say I’m from Florida or one of the other southern states, but I’m from Northeast Indiana in Fort Wayne. We have a wonderful nature preserve here in town called Lindenwood Nature Preserve, 110 acres, that I do most of my bug shooting at. That is where I took that picture. I also go to a few state parks and nature preserves close by. I’ve also been fortunate to find the Saddleback Caterpillar and the Skiff Moth Caterpillar, but I noticed you already had plenty of those. I’m keeping my eye open for some of the other slug caterpillars that are in my area.
Judy Whitton, the Bug Lady
Group locomotion
Hi,
I saw this on the western andean slopes in Ecuador – fascinating! But what is it?
Thanks,
Hugh
Hi Hugh,
Caterpillars that move in this manner are generally referred to as Army Worms. They travel in a mass to the next source of food.
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Posted 19 January 2007
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Yet more nature via Christmas trees
Hi Bugman!
Your site is AWESOME! We use it for reference a lot. We sent a photo of one of two cocoons (?) found on our Christmas tree near the crown. We have both in a pyrex dish with plastic wrap punched full of holes on top. Any suggestions?
Bill
Hi Bill,
This is a Bagworm, a type of moth. Females are wingless and legless and do not leave the bag. The males will fly to her. We have an entire Bagworm page on our site.
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Posted 17 January 2007
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Bagworm
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Caterpillar ID
Hello,
I have been trying to ID This cattapiller, I photographed in the summer down near the river bottoms, West TN. Thank you
Kathleen Chute
Hi Kathleen,
This is some species of Sphinx Moth in the family Sphingidae. We will try to get a positive ID.
Thank you very Much, I too felt it was of the sphinx moth class but there is such a big difference in pattern. Thanks a Bunch for any and all help.
Kathleen Chute
Hi again Kathleen,
After some research, we now believe this is a Great Ash Sphinx Caterpillar, Sphinx chersis. It seems to be an atypical color pattern. Both Bill Oehlke’s wonderful website and BugGuide have a photo taken by Tony Thomas in 1993 that looks very similar to your caterpillar, but it is a lateral view. We will consult with Bill Oehlke to see if he agrees with our assessment.
Daniel,
I am leaning more toward Agrius cingulata due to black markings on head, but I cannot tell for sure as there is nothing for size comparison, possible food plant. I would need a lateral view. Sorry. It might be chersis??
Bill Oehlke
unusual caterpillar
Hi from Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), British Columbia, Canada. I’m way out of my league on caterpillars and the local experts are stumped as well. Sure hope you can point me in the right direction. I just don’t want to disappoint members of the public who are interested in nature. Kind regards,
Berry Wijdeven
Species at Risk Recovery Coordinator
Ministry of Environment
unusual caterpillar
Hi Berry,
Here is the photo of the strange caterpillar which I found on a lavatera plant at our place. We have never seen one like it before, and it would be interesting to find out what kind of moth or butterfly it turns into. I just left it alone, and it disappeared—maybe we will spot an unusual butterfly in the spring. Regards,
Marlene Specht
Hi Barry and Marlene,
Our only thought was this might be one of the Hooded Owlet Moth Caterpillars in the genus Cucullia, so we checked BugGuide. We followed a link to the genus Melanchra and found your caterpillar, known as the Black Arches, Melanchra assimilis. It is an Owlet Moth that feeds on a wide variety of plants, but it does not list Lavatera. The caterpillar is found in both green and brown forms, both with the bold yellow stripes and black outlines depicted in the photo you provided.
hornworm almost-pupa
Hi Bugman,
For all the pics I’ve sent you, nothng had ever been good/interesting enough (to you!) for inclusion. This time, we have something you don’t have yet. My 7yo and I were digging out our tomato plants yesterday, when he saw this in the dirt. It is a hornworm in the process of becoming a pupa, as far as I can tell. You can actually see his horn there at the bottom of the pic. His legs were still there too, and he squirmed a bit, but is clearly shorter and more, uh, pupa-shaped than the big fat guys we saw into December. His body markings were gone. We gently reburied him–we’re not planting tomatos there next year–but I don’t know if we did him in just by digging him up. This is from Westchester, CA.
Audrey and Tony
Hi Audrey and Tony,
You have tapped into our guilt. First, we heartily apologize for not ever posting your submissions. There are many possible reasons. Sheer volume is high on the list. If letters have no subject line, then we tend to just ignore them except on very slow days. Often people send letters and forget to attach images and we don’t have time to request that they resend. Who knows? At any rate, we are happy to get your latest sumbission. Reburying the Hornworm probably did not interfere with the metamorphosis. The next step is that the larval skin will split and the pupa will wriggle out.
Hello!
I love this site! I’ve already emailed the link to several friends. Here are a couple of pics I took at my home. I think I’ve narrowed these little critters down to a ‘White Lined Sphinx Caterpillar’. I understand that pillars go through color changes through their development. Are both of these the same species? Anyway, this little guy was crawling through the mulch under some bushes in late April in south Texas. Did I mention I love this site. I’ve got some more strange bug pics to contribute later. Thanks,
Lance
Hi Lance,
These caterpillars are indeed both White Lined Sphinx Caterpillars.
Hi, what type of caterpillar is this?
Hi, I live in Brooklyn, NY and found this around my front lawn. It was quite hefty – probably 3-4 inches, with a beautiful color. What is it? Thanks,
Mark
(GREAT website, by the way)
Hi Mark,
This is a Sphinx Moth Caterpillar, and we suspect it might be a Great Ash Sphinx or Northern Ash Sphinx, Sphinx chersis. There are several different color variations. Was this really found in January?
Hi, thanks for your quick response. Sorry for misleading you. The photo was probably taken in late spring or early summer, judging by the pictures of full blooming hydrangeas in my yard that I believe were taken at the same time, especially since the leaves in the picture with the caterpillar were from the hydrangea bush. I had it on my computer for a while, I just stumbled on your website and didn’t see it there -though from the similar ones, I guessed it was some sort of Sphinx moth. Anyway, thanks again!
Ed. Note:
August 30, 2009
In making some classification changes to our archives, we decided to follow up on the hydrangea leaf, and now we believe this is the caterpillar of the Hydrangea Sphinx, Darapsa versicolor. Bill Oehlke’s website indicates: “and the ‘horn’ on the tail also turns downward as pupation draws near.“ This individual appears to have a downward turned horn.
unknown caterpillar
Please help me. I came across this little caterpillar in Cuernavaca, Mexico this past September. it was on the hood of a car, as you can see in the photo. Can you please tell me what kind of bud it is? Thank you!
Deborah
Hi Deborah,
This is a Saddleback Caterpiller. It is a stinging species that is found in much of the U.S. as well.
Hi
I am an American in Japan and thought you’d be interested in seeing what the tiger beetles here look like. They’re called hanmyou here.
I also included photos of a bagworm called a minomushi which means “straw raincoat”. They are a favorite of children here.
Melody McFarland
Yokosuka, Japan
Hi Melody,
Thank you for sending us your wonderful images as well as the language lesson. The jaws on that Hanmyou Tiger Beetle are quite formidable.
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