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Hickory Horned Devil attacked by Cardinal

Hickory Horned Devil vs. Cardinal

devil versus cardinal edwin 1 285x300 Hickory Horned Devil attacked by Cardinal

Hickory Horned Devil and Cardinal

Hickory Horned Devil vs. Cardinal
Location:  Columbia, Maryland
September 4, 2010 4:21 pm
This was a battle between a Cardinal and a Hickory Horned Devil. After many attacks, the Cardinal finally gave up and flew away.
Signature:  Edwin

devil versus cardinal edwin 291x300 Hickory Horned Devil attacked by Cardinal

Cardinal Gives up on Hickory Horned Devil assault

Hi Edwin,
Thanks for supplying our website with this marvelous documentation.  Without birds, our planet would probably soon be defoliated since there are so many insects that feed upon plants.  This looks like a young cardinal and a more mature bird would probably not have given up so quickly.  The Hickory Horned Devil does not look like it weathered the attack very well.

devil after cardinal edwin 300x199 Hickory Horned Devil attacked by Cardinal

Hickory Horned Devil

Posted 04 September 2010 § Silkworms ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Rustic Sphinx Hornworm

huge caterpillar
Location:  Palm Beach County, FL
September 4, 2010 1:23 pm
Hi,
I was picking basil this morning and almost picked this guy – to my immense surprise! He’s soft and squishy, didn’t move the entire time I was out there, and BIG. Can you tell me what species it is?
Thanks in advance!
Signature:  basil lady

rustic sphinx hornworm1 268x300 Rustic Sphinx Hornworm

Rustic Sphinx Hornworm

Dear Basil Lady,
This is the caterpillar of a Sphinx Moth in the family Sphingidae, known as a Hornworm.  It looks to us like a Rustic Sphinx, Manduca rustica, and Bill Oehlke’s excellent website has photos of the caterpillar as well as the other stages of metamorphosis.  The features that lead us to believe your caterpillar is a Rustic Sphinx are the “numerous white nodules on top of the thorax (visible in your closeup photo) and seven pairs of oblique, blue-gray stripes along the side of the body. The horn is white at the base and blue-gray at the tip.”  There is an extensive list of plants that the caterpillar is known to feed upon, and basil is not among them, so we are copying Bill Oehlke on this reply to get a confirmation and also in the event he may want to add basil as a food plant to his list.

rustic sphinx hornworm basil closeup 263x300 Rustic Sphinx Hornworm

Rustic Sphinx Caterpillar

Bill Oehlke Responds
Daniel,
Thanks for referrals. Here is confirmation notice of Manduca rustica from Palm Beach County, Florida.
Hi,
Daniel Marlos, from What`s that bug`,  sent me your email in  reference to a Manduca rustica larva you encountered feeding on basil.
I confirm that it is Manduca rustica, and I would like permission to add your images to my Sphingidae data base, credited to you.
My Palm Beach County thumbnail checklist is at
http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/flPalmBeachsph5l.htm
Can you send, as jpg attachments to this email address, larger images than the ones displayed on What`s that bug
Basil represents a new host plant for this species, but it is not surprising to me because it seems to eat just about everything in sight.
I am wondering though it it just switched over to basil recently and was previously eating something else. Can you find basil plants nearby with many leaves missing and numerous caterpillar droppings (poop) on the ground below the basil plants.
Also if I am to credit the photo properly, I would need your full name, or just initials if you would prefer.
Bill Oehlke

Hi,
Thank you for the really fast reply!
If you want any additional images of the caterpillar, please let me know. If you use any of the images, you can credit little c photography instead of “Basil Lady.”
Cheers,
Jenny

Posted 04 September 2010 § Hornworms ‡ Comments (0) °

Bagworm

Curious, spectacular cocoon
Location:  South Florida
September 1, 2010 9:15 pm
I found this in my crepe myrtle tree about two weeks ago. It’s a stunning piece of work, but I’ve never seen anything like it before. Even my colleague, a caterpillar/moth/butterfly guru, has never seen the likes of it and pronounced it ”spooky.” It’s between 2-3 inches long. What made this?
wilmax

bagworm wilmax 261x300 Bagworm

bagworm

Hi wilmax,
This cocoon was made by a Bagworm, the caterpillar of a moth in the family Psychidae.  As a caterpillar, the Bagworm spins a shelter from silk and organic matter from the plants upon which it feeds.  It drags the bag around while it feeds, never leaving its shelter.  It then uses the bag to pupate, the stage depicted in your photograph.  Adult Bagworm moths are sexually dimorphic.  The males are winged and the females lack wings and legs and do not leave the shelter of the bag once mature.  After mating, the female lays her eggs in the bag and after hatching, the young caterpillars disperse, each spinning its own bag which is enlarged as the caterpillar grows.

Thank you!!  Thanks for choosing to feature the photo on the site. I see that you have had many similar questions in the past – I wish I had known where to start looking.

Posted 03 September 2010 § Bagworm ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Hickory Horned Devil

Pics of Hickory Horned Devil
Location:  Charlotte NC
August 31, 2010 8:56 am
Thought you might like some additional pics of this horned devil. He was on a nearby tree at the welcome table at the Hummingbird Festival (Charlotte NC) this past weekend (Sat. Aug. 28). It amazed everyone that got to see it.
Michael

hickory horned devil portrait michael 172x300 Hickory Horned Devil

Hickory Horned Devil

Hi Michael,
Thanks for providing us with your excellent images of a Hickory Horned Devil.  The “portrait” is a perspective we do not often see.

hickory horned devil michael 300x206 Hickory Horned Devil

Hickory Horned Devil

Posted 31 August 2010 § Silkworms ‡ Comments (2) °

Orange Striped Oakworms

Orange-Striped Oakworns enjoying some sand
Location:  Swanton, OH
August 29, 2010 12:43 pm
Went to the Sand Dunes today – Oakworms everywhere! They had decimated many of the baby oaktrees in the area, but my favorite part was the little tiny trails COVERING the sand.
Katy

orange striped oakworm katy 300x232 Orange Striped Oakworms

Orange Striped Oakworm

Hi Katy,
Thanks for sending us your photos of Orange Striped Oakworms.  They must be very plentiful if trees are being defoliated.  The perspective of the trail photograph is a nice addition.

orange striped oakworm katy 2 300x200 Orange Striped Oakworms

Orange Striped Oakworm leaving trail

Posted 29 August 2010 § Silkworms ‡ Comments (0) °

Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Fuzzy black and white caterpillar
Location:  Torrington, CT on August 29th 2010
August 29, 2010 9:26 am
I spotted this beautiful caterpillar on my side porch and would love to know more about it. Love your site. Keep up the good work!
Jennifer

hickory tussock cat jennifer 300x239 Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Hi Jennifer,
Your caterpillar sure looks like a Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar, Lophocampa caryae, to us.  You can compare your individual to images posted to BugGuide.

Thank you so much for your help. I’m always amazed by what is right in front of you if you just bother to look. Bugs rule!

Posted 29 August 2010 § Tussock Moth Caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °

Orange Striped Oakworm

Orange Striped Oakworm
Location:  Near Maumee, OH
August 27, 2010 8:13 am
While hiking on nature trails near Maumee, OH, we came across many dozens of these caterpillars on the ground. Most of them had been trampled by hikers, joggers, and Park vehicles, (ecchhhh–what a mess!), though some were still alive and crawling. This specimen was quite alive and about 2.5 to 3” long.
I had never seen this type of caterpillar before, and after investigating online, believe it to be an Orange Striped Oakworm. I am assuming that so many were on the ground at once, because it was time for them to burrow into the ground and pupate.
Many of the Buckeyes, Hickory and young Oak trees had their leaves decimated– and again I’m assuming it could have been a result of the Oakworm’s feeding. Interestingly, the mass carnage of both caterpillars and leaves was very localized, occuring in an area of about 100 yards.
Chris O.

orange striped oakworm chris 300x171 Orange Striped Oakworm

Orange Striped Oakworm

Dear Chris,
We agree that this is an Orange Striped Oakworm, Anisota senatoria, and there is considerable information about the species posted on BugGuide.  To the best of our knowledge, the caterpillars do not feed on buckeye or hickory, but your observation on the defoliated trees is very interesting.

Posted 27 August 2010 § Silkworms ‡ Comments (0) °

Drexel’s Datana Caterpillars

caterpillar
Location:  northeast Pennsylvania
August 26, 2010 5:00 pm
I’m looking for the identity of these caterpillars. They were feeding on a blueberry bush. They fed in bunches at the end of a branch and raised their head and tail when disturbed. Seen in mid- August.
Angela H.

drexels datana cats angela 300x206 Drexels Datana Caterpillars

Drexel's Datana Caterpillars

Dear Angela,
The defensive posture you have described and photographed is consistent with the Prominent Caterpillars in the genus Datana, and the food plant and the coloration indicate that your specimens are Drexel’s Datana, Datana drexelii, which is described on BugGuide.

Thank you!!  I’ve been trying to find out what tese are ever since I first saw them!  I really appreciate your help.

Posted 27 August 2010 § Prominent Moth Caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °

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