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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

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

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) °

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 Moth Caterpillar, just prior to pupation

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 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 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 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

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 Caterpillar: Slendid Royal Moth???

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 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) °

Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar

snail type bug
July 12, 2009
Can you tell us what this is? Is it a worm; snail; what???
Union county bug finder
Union County, PA

Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar

Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar

Dear bug finder,
You have found the caterpillar of a Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus.  BugGuide has an image of this typically green caterpillar with the same coloration as yours, and there is a comment that judging by the color, it is ready to pupate. BugGuide also indicates:  “Caterpillars feed on Sweet Bay (Magnolia virginiana), Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), Swamp Bay(Persea palustris) and Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera). Adults take nectar from a variety of flowers.“  The adult butterfly is typically a large showing yellow tailed butterfly with black stripes, though there are some dark females.

Posted 13 July 2009 § swallowtail caterpillars ‡ 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

Unknown Caterpillar

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.

Unidentified Caterpillar

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:

Predatory Stink Bug eats Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

Carnivorous Orange Beetle
Mon, Jul 6, 2009 at 6:37 PM
My wife spotted this pair in the backyard. I don’t know the identity of either bug, but found the scene quite interesting. I’m just curious what was sucking the life out of what.
Dave
Beloit, WI

Predatory Stink Bug eats invasive Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

Predatory Stink Bug eats invasive Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

Hi Dave,
We located a nearly identical image on BugGuide, except that three Predatory Stink Bugs in the genus Apateticus are feeding on a Gypsy Moth Caterpillar.  Sadly, BugGuide does not provide any information on the genus and a nymph or immature insect, like the one in your photo, is often quite difficult to identify to the species level.  We can tell you that the Gypsy Moth Caterpillar, Lymantria dispar, is an introduced pest species.  BugGuide has this to say about the range of the Gypsy Moth:  “Native to Eurasia, introduced to North America at Boston, Massachusetts circa 1869 and has been spreading ever since ( US Forest Service ). Michigan, Pennsylvania, and all states to the north and east of these.  Also much of Wisconsin.  Also the northern parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.  Most of West Virginia is included in the insect’s range, as well as parts of Virginia and North Carolina.  The United States Forest Service estimates the moth’s range is spreading south and west at a rate of about 21 kilometers per year.  In Canada, the Gypsy Moth is present in British Columbia and in much of eastern Canada. “  BugGuide has the following comments with regards to food, life cycle and general remarks:  “Food Many hardwood species.  A very partial list includes Red Oak, Cherries, Willows, Hickories, and Pines.  Over 500 spp. of plants are known hosts.
Life Cycle In late summer females lay up to 1,000 eggs per egg mass.  The eggs overwinter and hatch in the Spring.  Larvae feed heavily and do considerable damage to forests.  Pupation typically occurs in mid-Summer.
Remarks Etienne Leopold Trouvelot, an amateur entomologist, brought Gypsy Moths into the United States to see if they could be successfully reared for silk culture.  Around 1869 some of Trouvelot’s charges escaped from his home near Boston.  Realizing the potential magnitude of the problem, he reported the escape but no action was taken until the infestation grew serious several years later. Trouvelot later became interested in astronomy and astronomical illustration, and eventually became a Harvard professor of Astronomy. ”

Predatory Stink Bug eats invasive Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

Predatory Stink Bug eats invasive Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

Posted 07 July 2009 § Stink Bugs and Shield Bugs § Tussock Moth Caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: ,

Tussock Moth Caterpillar

scorpion caterpillar!
Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Hello! Outside in our garden I found a caterpillar that looked like it was pretending to be a scorpion.
I have no idea what it is, I am from the UK so dont know much about american bugs.
Any ideas?
Rich
central Illinois

Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Hi Rich,
This is a Tussock Moth Caterpillar in the genus Orgyia, probably the White Marked Tussock Moth, Orgyia leucostigma, which BugGuide describes as: “Caterpillars are recognized by the bright red head and broad black stripe along the back flanked by a yellow stripe each side.  Two red glands on  sixth and seventh abdominal segments, and four tufts of hairs (which may be white, gray or yellowish) on the first four abdominal segments are common to several members of the genus.
CAUTION: Contact with hairs may cause an allergic reaction.
Adult females, which are pale grey, are wingless and therefore flightless. “   We are amused that you described this caterpillar as looking like a scorpion, because you have a species in the UK, Stauropus fagi, the Lobster Moth Caterpillar, which really, really looks like a scorpion.  We posted a photo of the Lobster Moth Caterpillar in September 2005 from England and more in August 2007 from Japan.

Posted 14 June 2009 § Tussock Moth Caterpillars ‡ Comments (2) °

Unknown Butterfly Chrysalis

Green Swallowtail Chrysalis??
Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 7:12 PM
Dear Bugman,
Thanks so much for your amazing site!! Yours is a favorite around here!
My husband accidentally washed this Chrysalis off of one of our children’s outdoor toys today. After visiting your site it looked like a some sort of swallowtail, but I haven’t seen such a beautiful green one before. He didn’t see it until after it was washed off so I don’t know if it was right side up , held with a girdle or upside down.
Also is there any way we can save it? It was undamaged and I have been very gentle in my handling of it.
It’s June st today, we live in southern central Washington State in a wooded area at about 200 ft. As you can see the chrysalis is about 1.5 inches long.
Thank you so much, Heidi
cental southern Washington state

Mystery Chrysalis, probably Swallowtail

Mystery Chrysalis, probably Swallowtail

Dear Heidi,
The main distinguishing feature of a Swallowtail Chrysalis is the silken girdle that keeps the pupa upright. Since this Chrysalis has been dislodged, it if impossible for us to be certain if the girdle was present. That said, we are not certain that this is a Swallowtail Chrysalis, but it is definitely a butterfly and not a moth. If the Chrysalis is undamaged, it may “hatch” and regarding color, the color of a Chrysalis changes as the metamorphosis occurs. We would love to hear back if and when this Chrysalis hatches , especially if you can provide images of the butterfly.

Update:
Wed, Jun 3, 2009 at 8:15 PM
Hi Daniel,
Sometimes when I log in, type a comment, and then click “Post”, a message states that my words are awaiting approval.  More often, like today, I see no such affirmation, which leads me to suspect that my two comments went into a black hole.  Thus, I’m also sending them to you directly – hope that’s OK.
Cheers,
Keith

Hi Heidi,
Your beautiful chrysalis is most likely that of the Pale Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon) – please see http://www.utahlepsociety.org/peurymedon.html – though Western (P. rutulus) and Two-tailed (P. multicaudata) tiger swallowtails have very similar pupae and are thus possibilities.  According to Bob Pyle’s The Butterflies of Cascadia, 2002: “In the northwest, the hostplants are chiefly species of Ceanothus (buckbrush, mountain balm, mountain lilac) east of the Cascades, red alder and cascara on the west side;  ocean spray, serviceberry, and bittercherry are also used, and we observed oviposition and reared it on hardhack (Douglas spiraea).”  Do any of these shrubs/trees grow on your property?  I hope the butterfly emerges OK . . . even better if your family can watch it do so (typically in the morning).  Good luck!
Best wishes,
Keith Wolfe

Posted 02 June 2009 § swallowtail caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

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