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 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 § ‡ ° 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
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
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 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 § ‡ ° UNNECESSARY CARNAGE
Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 5:55 AM
Hi Bugman,
This basilisk lizard is not a pet. While sitting out by the pond fishing, this female ran over and grabbed the poor caterpillar. It was right in front of me on the ground and I didn’t see it until she grabbed it and it was too late. Do you have any idea what kind of caterpillar it was? It took the lizard around ten minutes to scarf it down. She looked pretty satisfied after she ate her prize.
Jordan
Costa Rica
Basilisk Lizard eats Silk Moth Caterpillar
Hi Jordan,
This is far from unnecessary carnage. That section of our website is devoted to the hapless creatures that are squashed and swatted by humans out of ignorance. This Basilisk Lizard is dining on a Giant Silk Moth Caterpillar as part of the beautiful Food Chain cycle that dictates many creature must eat or be eaten. It is difficult to ascertain the exact species of the caterpillar from the camera angle, but we are relatively certain it is in the family Saturniidae.
Cocoons/Nests
Ok. I’ve attached 3 photos below. Thanks so much, Alanna
Hi Alanna,
There were no photos attached to this email.
On 3/6/09
Hi
I sent some photos late last month and wanted to check back with you
about the identification of them. Our 7 year old girl thoroughly
enjoys all kinds of “BUGS” and can hardly wait for a response.
Thanks so much,
Alanna
Original Letter: Feb 24, 2009, at 9:11 PM
cocoons/nests
I was wanting to know what we should expect
to emerge from these and how to possibly anticipate when (Can we
place these in a jar for observation until then?)?
Alanna
Metter, Ga
Bagworm
Hi Alana,
Sorry for the delay in getting to your response. Additional delays resulted when you resent the request but we had no way of tracking your original letter with images. Thanks for resending the images. You have provided an image of a Bagworm, a species of moth that lives its entire caterpillar life inside a bag consructed of silken thread and bits of plant material from the host plant. Your other cocoon is some Giant Silk Moth. Both the Polyphemus Moth and Luna Moth wrap the cocoon in a leaf, and often the leaf falls to the ground, but occasionally the cocoon remains attached to the tree. It appears as though the tree is a some sort of fruit tree. Your third image which we are not posting, is of a Preying Mantis oothica or egg case.
Polyphemus or Luna Cocoon???
¶ Posted 14 March 2009 § Bagworm ‡ ° Caterpillar in Amazon
Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 12:40 PM
Last week of January (rain season), we found this Caterpiller on a tree near a salt water pool in the rainforest of the southern Amazon in Brazil.
The Caterpiller is about 10 cm long. Image 1 shows the full view; image 2 shows the face; image 3 is not the Caterpiller, but a part (flower?) of the tree. It seems the caterpiller is mimicrying.
What, o what kind of caterpiller is this?
Rien Schot
Southern Amazon, Brazil
Automeris species Caterpillar
Hi Rien,
We are posting your image right before leaving for work and haven’t the time to research the species. We are quite certain this is a stinging caterpillar in the genus Automeris, a large genus that includes the North American Io Moth. When we have a chance, we will browse through the World’s Largest Saturniidae Site to see if we can identify the species.
Update:
Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Daniel:
What an interesting run of awesome but dangerous stinging caterpillars! I think you called it right, it is in the genus Automeris (Saturniidae : Hemileucinae). This is a very large New World genus (150 species and subspecies by one count), so making an absolute identification is very difficult. However, based on appearance and distribution I believe it can be narrowed down to A. egeus or A. larra. Of the two, I think A. egeus is the closer match. Regards.
Karl
http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/kwaegeus.htm
Thanks for the assistance Karl. Once a word or term enters the zeitgeist of the world wide web, search engines latch onto it quite quickly. A few weeks ago we answered and posted quite a few letters from Namibia.
¶ Posted 20 February 2009 § ‡ ° Black spiny caterpillar
Mon, Feb 16, 2009 at 12:43 PM
These caterpillars were found in a garden in Pretoria South Africa on a Kiepersol tree. The caterpillars are about 8 cm long. They are balck (or dark navy blue) with reddish spots on bothe sides of the body and sharop white spikes running next to the red spots on their bodies. I know this is a site for North America but would appreciate it very much if you perhaps have information for me.
Wia
Pretoria, South Africa
African Emperor Caterpillar
Dear Wia,
These spectacular caterpillars are the larval form of the equally spectacular African Emperor Moth, Bunaea alcinoe. The African Emperor Moth is one of the Giant Silk Moths.
African Emperor Caterpillars
2
¶ Posted 20 February 2009 § ‡ ° Unknown Stinging Moth or Butterfly Stinging Caterpillar from Brazil.
Tue, Feb 17, 2009 at 9:24 AM
Mr. Bugman, (this is my second e-mail…I am trying to be fortunate enough to get a little of your precious time to help me, so I can explain it to my children.)
This was found under the dirt (which my daughter stepped on it! Very painful!). Also on the banana trees and fruit trees around the area including oranges and also some coconut trees. This was on June 26, 2008 in Juazeiro do Norte, Ceara. Brazil. Winter time in the northeast area, temperature around 30F. I have looked all over the computer archive, also books in the library and book store. Could you help me to identify it. My sincerely gratitude. I hope I am not “Bugging” you too much.
Marianne Targino-VanBeber
Northeast Brazil, City: Juazeiro do Norte
Probably Stinging Saturniidae Caterpillars
Dear Marianne,
We are sorry we did not answer your previous email, but it is impossible for us to respond, or even read, every email we receive. Since we just identified a stinging caterpillar from Mexico, your subject line caught our attention. We can tell you that these are not butterfly caterpillars, but for the moment, the best we can provide is that they are moth caterpillar , possibly related to Buck Moths or Io Moths in the family Hemileucinae. We will try to do some additional research when we have time, or perhaps one of our readers will be able to provide you with an identification.
Hi Daniel and Marianne:
Unfortunately the picture is a little fuzzy and it is difficult to make out details. Finding them “under the dirt” is a bit confusing as well. However, let’s try something and perhaps Marianne can help us out with some more information. They look like large caterpillars (?) and my first inclination is to suggest that they are Saturniid moths (family Saturniidae). They look like they could be in the genus Periphoba, possibly P. hircia which is common throughout northern South America. However, there are several Periphoba species found in that part of Brazil and they apparently are all quite similar. For comparison, I have included links to P. hicia and P. arcaei, a related species that is primarily from Central America. All caterpillars in this genus are capable of inflicting an extremely painful sting. Regards.
Karl
http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/kwphircia.htm
http://janzen.sas.upenn.edu/Wadults/photopage.lasso?photocode%20dotj=DHJ25358.j
Dear Daniel,
Thank you very much for your reply.
I also want to thank Karl’s comments.
That day it was “rainning” green caterpillars. I wonder if one fell from the tree and was covered with dirt by accident and eventually my daughter stepped on it!
I was kind of scared to get any closer to one to take a better picture; but they were about the size of an index finger.:)
Marianne
¶ Posted 19 February 2009 § ‡ ° 
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