Western Tiger Swallowtail catepillar
October 27, 2009
I was wondering why the leaves of my penta plant were disappearing. Then this morning I found these “eyes” staring at me. At first I thought it was a plastic toy! What an amazing critter.
Marabelle
Sugar Land, TX
Tersa Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Marabelle
Though it resembles a Western Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar, your critter is a Tersa Sphinx Caterpillar. The Swallowtail has one set of eyespots, while the Tersa Sphinx has numerous eyespots. The Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar does not have a caudal horn, and the Tersa Sphinx does possess a caudal horn. Sphinx Moth caterpillars are often called Hornworms. Penta is a typical food plant for the Tersa Sphinx Caterpillar.
Please help ID this Caterpillar.
October 18, 2009
I am truly flummoxed about what this Caterpillar is, even after throughly Googling it, looking through my extensive “Caterpillar of N. America field guide, and posting pics of it to another site (Bugguide.net, where the closest ID was “Owlet Moth”…but none of the Owlet Caterpillars look like this). The plant it is on (and ingesting) is “Golden-Aster” (Heterotheca latifolia). It has a series of color combinations and sizes(perhaps ‘instars’?), but all individuals of the largest size look like the pics I am attaching. Dozens showed up suddenly on the plants that grow in very sandy soil all around where I live. I have found them in other N. Texas (Dallas-Ft. Worth) areas. ID help would be appreciated.
Tzila “Z” Duenzl
Horseshoe Bend, Weatherford, Texas
Hooded Owlet Moth Caterpillar
Dear Tzila,
This is an Owlet Moth Caterpillar, more specifically, a Hooded Owlet Moth Caterpillar in the genus Cucullia, probably the Brown Hooded Owlet, Cucullia convexipennis, which can be viewed in numerous photos on BugGuide. The food plant aster is corroborating evidence of the identification. Your photos are spectacular.
Hooded Owlet Moth Caterpillar
Ok…thanks Daniel. This was suggested on BugGuide (I submitted my pics for ID – look under “mtwoman”), but when I looked at the BugGuide guide pics of the Brown Hooded Owlet caterpillar, the coloring seemed different enough for me to question that ID. Could the coloring be different (lighter and more orange/yellow than red) because of the instar/age of the caterpillar? Anyway thanks! And thanks for the compliment!! You can see more of my pics on BugGuide under user name “mtwoman” (for “Mountain Woman”).
Tzila “Z” Duenzl
Hooded Owlet Moth Caterpillars are notoriously variable in coloration.
caterpillar
October 19, 2009
Funky worm… you know what it is?
Doug
My backyard on the island of Maui, HI.
Oleander Hawkmoth Caterpillar
Hi Doug,
It doesn’t appear to be feeding on oleander, but it looks like an Oleander Hawkmoth Caterpillar. According to Bill Oehlke’s website, in addition to oleander, the caterpillar is also known to feed on “Minor hostplants are Vinca, Vitis, Gardenia, Asclepias, Jasminum, Trachelospermum, Amsonia, Carissa, Tabernaemontana, Mangifera, Rhazya, Adenium, Catharanthus, Ipomoea and Thevetia. Larvae will also feed on Ligustrum ovalifolium in captivity.“
Very Pretty Caterpillar
October 19, 2009
Hello, I found alot of these caterpillars all living on the same type of weed on my property. They are in various colors. I even found one with wasp eggs attached.
Frankie B Norris
Central Florida
Banded Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Frankie,
The Banded Sphinx, Eumorpha fasciatus, is one of several Sphinx Moths with highly variable caterpillars. Though the darker colorful caterpillar is a version well represented in our archives, we believe the lighter morph is a new color variation that is not represented in our archives. Bill Oehlke’s excellent website illustrates both of these color variations as well as several others. The Banded Sphinx Caterpillars are known to feed on “primrose-willow, Ludwigia (water primrose) and other plants in the evening primrose family (Onagraceae). Grapes also serve as larval hosts.”
Banded Sphinx Caterpillar
yellow caterpillar?
October 16, 2009
Found in a garden in Florence Italy during October of 2009. What is it? Is it bad for plants?
A. Livingston
Florence, Italy
Death's Head Hawkmoth Caterpillar
Dear A. Livingston,
This is the caterpillar of a Death’s Head Hawkmoth, Acherontia atropos, and other than eating some leaves, it is not harmful to the plant it is feeding upon. You may find additional information on the Sphingidae of the Palaearctic website.
Damselfly or not?
October 13, 2009
I found this bug at my grandma’s house. At first I thought he was a dragonfly. He’s brown and has multiple wings. My mom thinks he is a damselfly. Can you help us? also, I am sending 2 pictures of a garden spider and Hickory Horned Devil.
Thanks!
Scarlett
McAlpin, Florida
Hickory Horned Devil
Hi Scarlett,
We already wrote back to you to tell you that the damselfly is actually an Antlion. In trying to select letters for posting today, we would much rather post your photo of the Hickory Horned Devil since we did not receive as many nice photos of this spectacular caterpillar as we have in past years.
Pictures of orange Imperial Moth caterpillar
October 11, 2009
Found it crawling across my office’s parking lot during midday, 9/29/09, so it must have been looking for a spot to burrow into for pupating.
The office has many types of trees, including conifers.
Thanks to your awesome site, I was able to identify it and learn more about it.
Please feel free to use these pictures. I think they’re pretty good! There are 4 pictures I wanted to give to you, so I’ll send another message after this one with the 4th pic.
Be sure to check out the drool at the bottom of its mouth in the facial closeup! 
Thy Nguyen Cavagnaro – Barnegat, NJ
Jamesburg, NJ
Imperial Moth Caterpillar
Dear Thy,
Thanks for sending us your gorgeous images of an orange Imperial Moth Caterpillar. There are several different color variations for the Imperial Moth Caterpillar, including green, blue-green, and brown, and the caterpillar often changes color just prior to pupation. This bright orange variation is not one of the variations we see most often and it is a lovely addition to our archives.
Imperial Moth Caterpillar
Crawling green bug with yellow things growing on it
October 10, 2009
Photo taken 9/28/09 in the afternoon. He/she was crawling across the paved part of the Baldwin Rails to Trails from one side to the other.
Florida
Jacksonville, FL
Imperial Moth Caterpillar
Hi Florida,
This is an Imperial Moth Caterpillar.
Cocoons on my Mesquite tree
October 10, 2009
South of Tucson, Arizona. I have these cocoons all over one of my mesquite trees.
Pam
Rio Rico, Arizona
Bagworms
Hi Pam,
This is a species of Bagworm. Bagworms are caterpillars of moths in the family Psychidae. They are unusual in that the female never leaves her bag. The bag is formed from silk and plant material by a growing larva that eventually pupates inside its bag. Adult males have wings but females are wingless. The female emits pheromones and attracts a mate to her bag. Her eggs are also laid in the bag. BugGuide contains some wonderful information.
Bagworms
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Posted 11 October 2009
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Bagworm
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What type if catepillars
October 5, 2009
Found eating Oleander near Hilton Head South Carolina
Walt Jankowski
Hilton Head SC
Oleander Caterpillar and Milkweed Assassin Bug
Hi Walt,
The caterpillar in your photo is known as the Oleander Caterpillar, and it is the larva of the Polka Dot Wasp Moth, Syntomeida epilais. Below the caterpillar is an immature Milkweed Assassin Bug, a predator that often feeds on caterpillars. We are uncertain if it will prey upon the Oleander Caterpillar. The caterpillar stores toxins from the oleander in its body which renders it unpalatable to many predators.
Catapillar or worm?
October 4, 2009
This was found in southern Wisconsin on a grape vine. It is soft to the touch, even though the spotted outside looks like a “shell” When it stretches, it extends out of the “shell” Very different from anything we have ever seen before
Cora Purdue
Southern Wisconsin
Pandora Sphinx Caterpillar
Hi Cora,
Your caterpillar is a Pandora Sphinx Caterpillar, Eumorpha pandorus, and it is commonly found on grape vines. There are also green and brown color variations of the caterpillar.
Unknown Caterpillar
October 4, 2009
Hello bugman,
when cutting our Chamaedorea elegans, my husband felt a burning sensation to his arm. Obviously he touched two of this caterpillars, sitting on a leaf.
I searched your database, but couldn’t find a similar picture. Looks like a stinging slug caterpillar for me.
Thanks for your help,
Best regard
Claudia
Singapore
Unknown Stinging Caterpillar
Hi Claudia,
We are not certain that this is a Stinging Slug Caterpillar. It looks more to us like one of the Stinging Caterpillars in the subfamily Hemileucinae of the Giant Silkworm Family Saturniidae. We will try to get a second opinion.
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