Io Moth Caterpillar
My son found this caterpillar on a bush when playing outside. I homeschool my boys and we love to find caterpillars, identify them and then watch them change into their final stage. Thankfully, my boys did NOT touch this spiky little guy because I believe it is a Io Moth Caterpillar and have read that touching them can be painful. Any other info you might have about this fascinating creature would be very appreciated. The moth is beautiful and I really hope we’ll get to see it!
South Eastern PA
Korin Sutherland
Io Moth Caterpillar
Hi Korin,
Your identification of an Io Moth Caterpillar is correct. Congratulations on being our first posting using our new submission form. The transition to our new and improved website has been less than smooth, but we are fully confident our new site will provide our readership with many new features.
¶ Posted 20 September 2008 § ‡ ° Strange Variation of HHD
Hi. I ran across your site as my three year old and I are trying to put a name to some of the tiny creatures around our Florida home. I have seen the Hickory Horned Devil Catapillar many times but none of them look like ours. Please tell us if we have a true HHD or something else. Thanks so much. (See attached.)
Have a blessed day!
Jacilyn Wheeler
Hickory Horned Devil
Hi Jacilyn,
Your Hickory Horned Devil looks like a normal fifth instar caterpillar. Perhaps those you saw previously were younger caterpillars, but as you did not describe the difference, we are uncertain. At any rate, it is wonderful to have your gorgeous, yet typical, Hickory Horned Devil to add to our archives. As we are currently transitioning our site, the image will not go live until we finish the site migration.
¶ Posted 16 September 2008 § ‡ ° Hickory Horned Devil?
We found this big guy on a manzanita bush south of Tucson. After checking your website we believe it to be a Hickory Horned Devil, but we don’t know if they are common in Arizona. Can you please help us out? Thank you.
J.D. and Jennifer
Hi J.D. and Jennifer,
The Citheronia splendens sinaloensis Caterpillar in your photo is in the same genus as the Hickory Horned Devil. It does not have a common name. We might propose Arizona Devil for the Caterpillar.
¶ Posted 31 August 2008 § ‡ ° What’s my bug (caterpillar)
Hello you intelligent bug lovers!
On behalf of Yulee Elementary School in Yulee, FL, thanks for making this informative and colorful site. One of my co-workers has asked me to identify this species. She has it co-inhabiting a jar w/ oleander larvae. I have looked at all the submitted photos but still can’t decide what this is. Can you help? If you respond you’ll be informing almost 900 3rd-5th graders and their teachers. You may inspire a new generation of bug lovers. ps any hints on how we can feed it would also be appreciated.
Mary Austin-Harris,
Yulee, Florida
Hi Mary,
There was no way we were going to pass up the opportunity to educate almost 900 elementary school students and their teachers. This is an Imperial Moth Caterpillar, Eacles imperialis. According to BugGuide, they: “feed on leaves of Bald Cypress, basswood, birch, cedar, elm, hickory, Honeylocust, maple, oak, pine, Sassafras (Sassafras albidum ), Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), sycamore, walnut. “
2
¶ Posted 27 August 2008 § ‡ ° caterpillar
Hi I found this monster in my koi pond in Iowa. I thought he was dead, but I laid him gently out to dry. He’s still alive and crawling around. Can you tell me what it is? I have a couple of other pictures of it.
Donna Hansford
Hi Donna,
It is the time of the year for caterpillars that burrow in the ground to pupate to leave their trees and shrubs in search of a place to metamorphose. These large caterpillars have gone unnoticed as they were feeding, but many of or readers encounter them once they reach ground level. Your caterpillar is an Imperial Moth Caterpillar.
¶ Posted 22 August 2008 § ‡ ° Hickory Horned Devil or Royal (or Regal) Walnut Moth Caterpillar Photo
Hi – My 8-year-old twins found this caterpillar on the street in front of our house (Aug. 21, 2008, Virginia Beach, VA) – we’re not sure what happened to it… Initially we thought he’d been run over (his mouthparts seem a bit damaged and there was liquid surrounding him – and very tiny ants were attacking him) but he didn’t really appear squished. We brought him in, rinsed off the ants and read a bit about him (which suggests that perhaps he fell out of a tree preparing to pupate and fell a bit too hard?) – and filled a jar with soft soil and what I hope are walnut leaves. He’s got a broken horn or two, and I’m not sure if he’ll make it (not sure what damage he’s sustained), but he is still moving around a little. Hopefully he’ll make it (we were afraid to leave him outside because the ants find him too attractive). Thanks for your site – my family and I use it almost every day to identify all the cool bugs in our yard!
Monica
Hi Monica,
Your Hickory Horned Devil would also be an attractive snack for birds and other predators. There is no way of knowing what caused the trauma. We received three images of Hickory Horned Devils today, and expect to get many more in the next month.
2
¶ Posted 21 August 2008 § ‡ ° Is this a cousin to the Hickory Horned Devil?
I found this on my driveway and cannot determine what type of Caterpillar it is. It looks like the Hickory Horned Devil, but, is smaller and yellow. Do you have any idea what it is, and what it will turn into?
We are not upholding our recent threat to directly trash all letters without locations for the simple reason that we are delighted to be posting our first Hickory Horned Devil of the year. It is a wonderful photo. The fact that you found this Devil on the ground instead of a tree indicates it is probably getting ready to pupate. Just before pupation, many caterpillars change colors. We expect to receive many more images in September.
Sorry about that. I live in Herndon Virginia.
Gerald
¶ Posted 09 August 2008 § ‡ ° Spiny caterpillar on azalea bush
I found these caterpillars on my azalea bush this morning. There were probably 15 of them. I have never seen them before. As I was putting them in a container, one fell on my hand and I had a burning sensation on the area. Are these poisonous? I live in St. Petersburg FL. Thanks for your help.
Donna
Hi Donna,
There may be slight pain and irritation from contact with the spines of the Io Moth Caterpillar, Automeris io. The adult moth is a lovely “eyed” Saturniid.
¶ Posted 27 July 2008 § ‡ ° 
rss
I like This
