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Yellow Banded Day Sphinx Caterpillar

who is this handsome devil?
July 27, 2009
found July 18 2009
near Clearwater British Columbia Canada
df
Clearwater British Columbia Canada

yellow banded day sphinx cat 300x212 Yellow Banded Day Sphinx Caterpillar

Yellow Banded Day Sphinx

Dear df,
We researched your caterpillar on Bill Oehlke’s wonderful website and we are pretty certain that this is a Yellow Banded Day Sphinx Caterpillar, Proserpinus flavofasciata.  As its name implies, the adult moth is diurnal.  According to Bill’s website:  “The Yellow-banded day sphinx, Proserpinus flavofasciata (Wing span: 39 – 49 mm), flies in Alaska south through British Columbia to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado, and from British Columbia east across southern Canada to Nova Scotia and Maine.“  The website also indicates:  “Larvae feed on willow weed (Epilobium) and possibly thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus).  Mature larvae pupate and overwinter in burrows dug under stones and other solid objects. The penultimate instar is pale green with a pair of pale, dorsolateral lines running from the head to the base of the short caudal horn. The last instar is brown-black with numerous black dots; caudal horn replaced by a black button surrounded by a white band edged with black.“  The depth of field on your photograph is quite shallow, but the focus on the head and caudal button makes identification easy.  We are going to copy Bill on this response so he can add your sighting to the comprehensive data he is compiling.

Posted 28 July 2009 § Hornworms ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Imperial Moth Caterpillar, ready to pupate

moth caterpillar
July 24, 2009
Hi-We think this is an Imperial Moth Caterpillar about ready to pupate. Hope you like the image and thanks for all the work you!
KICA maint.
Kiawah Island, SC

imperial prepupa 300x225 Imperial Moth Caterpillar, ready to pupate

Imperial Moth Caterpillar, just prior to pupation

Dear KICA maint.,
Your identification is spot on.  This is the only image we have received of a now immobile Imperial Moth Caterpillar just before the molt that will lead to the pupa stage.  The outline is already suggesting the shape of the pupa.  Generally, before the caterpillar reaches this stage, it has already buried itself as the pupal stage is underground.  We are guessing that you either dug up this caterpillar, or that it was unable to bury itself before initiating the pupal molt.  Perhaps you even raised the caterpillar in a place that would not facilitate underground pupation.  Thanks for sending us this excellent image.  You can find more information on the Imperial Moth on BugGuide.

Posted 26 July 2009 § Silkworms ‡ Comments (0) °

Juanita Sphinx Caterpillar

Bullseye caterpillar?
July 23, 2009
Hi Lisa Anne and Daniel, even with this caterpillar’s distinctive markings I am unable to identify it. It was found on the grass stem (cannot say it was feeding) on a prickly pear/sagebrush steppe but near a riparian area.
You are my last, best hope for an i.d. and I have unbounded faith in you!
Thanks in advance.
Dwaine
outskirts of Casper, WY

juanita sphinx cat dwaine 300x197 Juanita Sphinx Caterpillar

Juanita Sphinx Caterpillar

Hi Dwaine,
We are thrilled to be able to return a favor since you always send us such awesome butterfly images that are already identified.  The markings on your caterpillar are absolutely gorgeous, much like the weaving of a Persian rug.  We quickly identified this Juanita Sphinx Caterpillar, Proserpinus juanita, on Bill Oehlke’s awesome website.  Most Sphinx Caterpillars are characterized by a caudal horn, giving them the name Hornworm, but this species loses its horn on the molt between the forth and fifth instar according to the images posted by Bill.  We are going to copy Bill Oehlke on this reply since your gorgeous caterpillar differs slightly in coloration from the example he has posted.  Bill is also compiling comprehensive data on species distribution.

juanita sphinx cat dwaine 2 300x184 Juanita Sphinx Caterpillar

Juanita Sphinx Caterpillar

Posted 24 July 2009 § Hornworms ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Rustic Sphinx Caterpillar

Very Large Caterpillar
July 20, 2009
I found this caterpillar on a Vitex tree while pruning. I had thought perhaps it was a Poplar Hawk Moth or maybe a Luna Moth caterpillar but, am now unsure after looking at pictures of each.
Brad
Marietta, Ga

rustic cat brad 300x206 Rustic Sphinx Caterpillar

Rustic Sphinx Caterpillar

Hi Brad,
Properly identifying Sphinx Caterpillars can be a challenge for us, and it often takes considerable research.  Thanks so much for supplying the name of the food plant.  We just did a web search of vitex and sphinx and quickly arrived at this Sphinx Caterpillar of Texas page by Bill Oehlke that had a photo of the Rustic Sphinx eating Vitex.

Posted 20 July 2009 § Hornworms ‡ Comments (0) °

Unknown Pink Inchworm

Pink Caterpillar
July 18, 2009
This tiny pink caterpillar moved in inchworm fashion and was particularly interested in the pollen/nectar of my Coreopsis flower. About 3/8″ in length, really tiny.
sankax
Minneapolis, MN

pink inchworm sankax 300x245 Unknown Pink Inchworm

Unknown Pink Inchworm

Dear sankax,
While we cannot tell you the species, this Inchworm or Spanworm is the caterpillar of a moth in the family Geometridae.

Posted 19 July 2009 § Inchworms ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Pine Devil Moth Caterpillar

What did my son find?
June 20, 2009
My five year old LOVES catepillars and he found this one in Southwest Georgia on a Confederate Jasmine vine. It is about 1.25 inches.
J. Brooks
Southwest Georgia US

unknown cat georgia 300x169 Pine Devil Moth Caterpillar

Pine Devil Moth Caterpillar

Dear J.,
We wonder by chance if your son raised this caterpillar to see what the adult is.  We have been unsuccessful in pinpointing the species, but we have a far-fetched theory.  We believe this most resembles the Splendid Royal Moth Caterpillar, Citheronia splendens pictured on BugGuide.  There are several subspecies in Mexico and BugGuide lists sightings in Arizona and Florida.  You are in south Georgia, and if there is an established population in Florida, it is entirely possible that your caterpillar might be a Splendid Royal Moth Caterpillar.  The size you indicate would mean this is not the final instar for the caterpillar, and that it will grow, molt and change appearance before becoming a pupa.  We expect that as soon as this is posted, someone will write in with an obvious identification that will make us feel foolish.

Update:  with correction by Bill Oehlke
Seems we weren’t too far astray.  Bill Oehlke believes this to be a Pine Devil Moth Caterpillar, Citheronia sepulcralis, a member of the same genus.

Daniel,
Citheronnia splendens sinaloensis would be far from natural habitat in Florida or Georgia. I believe it is an early  instar of Citheronia sepulcralis.
Bill Oehlke

I think that is what it is!! I found a sightings map and there have been some sighted about 45 miles west and southwest of my location which is Thomasville, GA. There is a Pitch pine behind our house…which is very unusual for this area.  Must be where he came from. Can’t wait to tell my son what the caterpillar was. By the way, he did not raise it. We found it and released it. Thanks so much for your help!!! I’m sure we will be contacting you again because he is in the yard daily looking for “bugs”
J

Posted 18 July 2009 § Silkworms ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Io Moth Caterpillar

Found in bamboo tree
June 11, 2009
We live in New Orleans and found this caterpillar in a bamboo tree in our backyard. My son put it in a jar and fed it bamboo leaves (we tried other leaves but bamboo was all it ate). After about a week, it wrapped itself in leaves —- like a sleeping bag. That was about 1-1/2 weeks ago. We don’t think it’s dead but we’re not sure how long before it emerges. Is it a moth or a butterfly?
The Hoffs
New Orleans, LA

io cat bamboo 196x300 Io Moth Caterpillar

Io Moth Caterpillar

Dear Hoffs,
This is an Io Moth Caterpillar.  The adult moth is a beautiful creature with large eyespots on the lower wings.  We have never heard of Io Moth Caterpillars feeding on bamboo. The spines on the Io Moth Caterpillar can sting if the caterpillar is not handled carefully.

Posted 15 July 2009 § Silkworms ‡ Comments (0) °

Pine Sphinx

Coneheaded Caterpillar
Tue, Jul 7, 2009 at 6:25 AM
Hi there! I found this little caterpillar at Newport News Park in Newport News, Virginia on July 6, 2009… He must have fallen out of a tree as I found him on my shoulder… I’ve searched and searched for an ID on the internet but to no avail – the cone-shaped head seems to be unique as the majority I’ve looked at that come close to the rest of his appearance are round headed… I posted his pic on our newspaper’s website and now have a ton of folks wondering what he is – it was one of them that pointed me your way ;o) Any help you can provided would be greatly appreciated!!
Anna
Newport News, VA

conehead cat unid 300x189 Pine Sphinx

Unknown Caterpillar

Dear Anna,
We have spent well over a fruitless hour trying to identify your caterpillar.  Alas, we have given up and we hope one of our readers will have better luck than we have had.  Our best guess on this is that it is a butterfly caterpillar in the family Nymphalidae, possibly the Subfamily Satyrinae which includes the Wood Nymphs and Satyrs, or perhaps the subfamily Apaturinae, the Emperors.  Our second guess would be that it is some type of Skipper in the family Hesperidae.  Sadly, these families are not really well represented on the internet with regards to caterpillars.

conehead cat unid 2 300x228 Pine Sphinx

Unidentified Caterpillar

Update:
Sun July 12, 2009
Greetings Anna and Daniel,
While this caterpillar may resemble something in the Satyrinae or Apaturinae, it’s actually a young MOTH.  Please compare your photo to these images of larvae from those two butterfly subfamilies:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trombamarina/218855622/ (Satyrodes sp.)
http://bugguide.net/node/view/231428 (Asterocampa celtis)
Let me send an e-mail to Dave Wagner at the University of Connecticut, who’s the leading authority on US moth caterpillars.
Best wishes,
Keith Wolfe

Update from Keith Wolfe:
Monday, July 13, 2009
Hi Anna,
According to Prof. Dave Wagner, and Ryan’s brief comment, this caterpillar will metamorphose into a Pine Sphinx moth (one of four species in the Lapara genus of the Sphingidae family).  The green and white striping is an effective camouflage apparently shared by a number of butterfly and moth larvae that feed on pine needles.
Best wishes,
Keith

Ed. Note:
We are linking to Bill Oehlke’s posting of a Northern Pine Sphinx, Lapara bombycoides.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Thank you so very much for your time, effort, and energy in searching out the identity of this little guy!!  Please also pass along my thanks to Keith Wolfe, Prof Dave Wagner, and Ryan who spent their time researching this too!  Y’all are just GREAT – I’m going to let our folks on the newspaper website know right this sec and will use the link to your page to share…
THANK YOU – THANK YOU – THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anna

Posted 08 July 2009 § Hornworms ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged:

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