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Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar

The coolest caterpillar ever at least in NJ
Location: Coastal Central NJ
November 12, 2011 9:55 pm
My daughter found this caterpillar in the road
Signature: Chris Miller

spicebush cat chris 300x206 Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar

Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar

Hi Chris,
This is the caterpillar of a Spicebush Swallowtail.  It is widely believed that the false eyes are a type of mimicry that helps to deter predators like birds that mistake this potentially bitesized morsel for an even larger predator like a snake.

Permission to reproduce photo requested
December 1, 2011 10:08 am
Dear Daniel Marlos,
I take the liberty of writing to you because I am about to publish, at Les Éditions de la Transparence, a completely revised version of my doctoral thesis dealing with contemporary painting and entitled L’Image peinte. Enjeux et perspectives de la peinture figurative des années 90 à nos jours, which received in 2009 the Thesis Prize of the University of Aix-Marseille I.
Therefore, I would like to know if you could give us your authorization to print the following reproduction of an image of caterpillar, belonging to the corpus of my aesthetic analysis:
Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar, Coastal Central NJ, Signature Chris Miller.
Thanks in advance for your attention. I am of course entirely at your disposal to answer any question you may have regarding this book, whose publication is programmed for March 2012; a copy will be put at your disposal.
Yours sincerely,
Jean-François Desserre.

Dear Jean-Francois Desserre,
Sorry for the delay, but we are just catching up on old emails.  Thanks for writing and requesting permission to use this photo, however, the copyright does belong to Chris Miller.  We believe we have found his email address and we will copy him to see if he will grant permission.  Normally in situations like this, we request that a comment be posted directly to the original posting so that the photographer can comment.  Good luck with the publication of your thesis.

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Posted 13 November 2011 § swallowtail caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Androgeus Swallowtail and Caterpillar from Puerto Rico

about a caterpilar
Location: Puerto Rico
November 12, 2011 8:58 am
hey! I’m trying to find whats the name of the bugs I’m sending please replay as soon as possible
Signature: Jenny

papilio androgeus cat puerto rico jenny 300x186 Androgeus Swallowtail and Caterpillar from Puerto Rico

Androgeus Swallowtail Caterpillar

Hi Jenny,
Both your caterpillar and adult have a strong resemblance to the Giant Swallowtail, however, there are subtle differences that caused us to doubt that as the correct identification.  Here is a photo of a Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar from our archives and a photo of an adult Giant Swallowtail from our archives.  Our continued research brought us to the Adven Tours of Puerto Rico website and their butterfly list that included five swallowtails from Puerto Rico including the Androgeus Swallowtail that seemed to be a good match.  The Butterflies of Americawebsite pictures this sexually dimorphic species that indicates your adult is a male.  The Butterflies and Moths of North America website only pictures the female, but this information is included to support the larval food plant since your photos appear to be citrus leaves:  “Caterpillar Hosts: Leaves of trees in citrus (Rutaceae) family orange (Citrus sinensis) and Zanthoxylum elephantiasis.” 

papilio androgeus puerto rico jenny 300x206 Androgeus Swallowtail and Caterpillar from Puerto Rico

Male Papilio androgeus emerges from Chrysalis

Finally, we located this nice image of a stamp from Cuba picturing this lovely butterfly.

stamp cuba papilio androgeus 300x252 Androgeus Swallowtail and Caterpillar from Puerto Rico

Androgeus Swallowtail on a Cuban Stamp

Question from Keith Wolfe
November 13, 2011
Daniel, would it be possible to ask Jenny if she’s 100% sure that the splendid emerged butterfly resulted from the pictured brown and white caterpillar?  Thank you very much!
Best wishes,
Keith

Keith Wolfe writes back
November 17, 2011
Hi Daniel,
Despite your follow-up email to Jenny going unanswered, I’m nevertheless convinced that your identification of her caterpillar as an Androgeus Swallowtail (Papilio androgeus) is correct.  Good work, Bugman!  Although I recognize the larva, to include being familiar with several other look-alikes in its species group, I wanted to double-check with a scholarly list of Puerto Rican butterflies, such as this somewhat dated report — http://academic.uprm.edu/publications/cjs/VOL17/P059-068.PDF (tourism websites are not necessarily a reliable source of scientific information).  FYI on another young Androgeus Swallowtail from Ecuador — http://c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000Lx7jqbezL_M/s/1000.
Cheers,
Keith

Thanks for the vote of confidence Keith.  Your insightful contributions are always most welcomed.

hey! I’m sorry it took me so long to replay, but no the caterpillar is a totally different from the butterfly!
Jenny

 

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Posted 12 November 2011 § swallowtail caterpillars § swallowtails ‡ Comments (0) °

Monarch Butterfly Caterpillars

Caterpillars
Location: Charelston sc
November 10, 2011 9:22 pm
My friend, an elementary school teacher in Charleston, SC, took these photos on November 10.
Signature: The non-entomolgocial biologst, Alex Hartman (University of South Carolina)

monarch cats alex 300x203 Monarch Butterfly Caterpillars

Monarch Caterpillars

Dear Alex,
The plant in the photo appears to be an exotic milkweed, and they are usually promoted as butterfly plants.  The caterpillars in the photo are Monarch Caterpillars and they will metamorphose into Monarch Butterflies.  The caterpillars of Monarchs feed on milkweed.

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Posted 11 November 2011 § brush footed butterfly caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Atlas Moth Caterpillar from China, we believe

What the heck is that?
Location: China
November 9, 2011 6:59 pm
My friend found a ton of these in a tree. WHAT IN THE WORLD?
Signature: -confused

atlas moth cat china 300x221 Atlas Moth Caterpillar from China, we believe

Atlas Moth Caterpillar

Dear -confused,
We believe this is the caterpillar of an Atlas Moth.  If the criterion is wing area, the Atlas Moth is the largest moth in the world.  The Squidoo website has a nice profile on the Atlas Moth

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Posted 10 November 2011 § Silkworms ‡ Comments (0) °

Tetrio Sphinx Caterpillars from Brazil

Brazilian bug
Location: Mato Grosso
November 9, 2011 5:24 am
I found this bug on the veranda of my house in Brazil. I live in a town called Chapada dos Guimarães which is supposedly in a transition zone between the Cerrado biome and the Amazon basin biome. On the property there is a patch of gallery forest along a stream and also a patch of former pasture reverting to forest. There is pronounced dry season from June to September. I saw the bug in October after the rains had begun. I was quite surprised when it opened its wings to reveal the gorgeous colors – reminds me a bit of a planthopper Fulgoridae
Could you also identify these large caterpillars that have been browsing recently on a frangipani shrub?
thank you
Signature: Jon Kempsey

tetrio cats brazil jon 300x206 Tetrio Sphinx Caterpillars from Brazil

Tetrio Sphinx Caterpillars

Dear Jon,
These are the caterpillars of the Tetrio Sphinx moth, a species found in Florida as well as much of the American tropics.  They are  feeding on a Plumeria or frangipani, one of the known food plants.  Your other photos did not attach so we cannot comment on the other creature.  In the future, please only include one species per email submission.  If you attempt to resubmit the photos, please use the standard submission form that requests information on location.

Thank you for identifying the caterpillars for me – I have frequently seen the moths in my house. I will re-submit the other photos.
best wishes, Jon

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Posted 09 November 2011 § Hornworms ‡ Comments (0) °

Carolina Sphinx Caterpillar

HUGE … caterpillar??
Location: Phoenix, AZ
November 7, 2011 9:23 pm
This was on the leaves of my Blue Potato Bush in Phoenix, AZ. It’s as thick and as long as my thumb. Can you tell me what it is? I assume it will eat my bush, but that’s nature….I won’t kill it!
Signature: Suzy

carolina sphinx cat suzy 300x238 Carolina Sphinx Caterpillar

Carolina Sphinx Caterpillar

Dear Suzy,
There are two large caterpillars that feed on the leaves of tomato plants and relatives in the nightshade family including potato.  We just posted a photo of one species, the Five Spotted Hawkmoth or Tomato Hornworm.  You have submitted a photo of the other species, the Carolina Sphinx or Tobacco Hornworm, Manduca sexta.

Thank you so much, you are so quick!  I looked it up to see what the caterpillar turns into.  Very interesting information.  One more question, if you don’t mind.  What are the chances I would find that caterpillar in a cocoon and be able to see it emerge?  I only have the one plant, so it doesn’t seem to me the caterpillar could go very far – or would want to…..
Suzy
PS  I am so thankful for the information I get from ‘What’s that bug’ that I am making a donation.  Thank you again!

Hi again Suzy,
This caterpillar does not spin a cocoon.  It buries itself in the ground and molts into a naked pupa like this image.

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Posted 07 November 2011 § Hornworms ‡ Comments (0) °

Five Spotted Hawkmoth Caterpillar: Dark Morph

Please help identify this caterpillar?
Location: San Antonio, TX
November 7, 2011 10:54 am
What kind of butterfly or moth will this caterpillar become? This well-camouflaged caterpillar is about 5 inches long when extended. It was spotted in my yard in San Antonio, TX on November 6, 2011.
Signature: Diane Duesterhoeft

five spotted hawkmoth cat 300x193 Five Spotted Hawkmoth Caterpillar: Dark Morph

Five Spotted Hawkmoth Caterpillar

Hi Diane,
We wish your photo showed a bit more of this impressive caterpillar, one of the Hornworms in the family Sphingidae.  We are relatively confident this is an unusual dark color variation on the common Five Spotted Hawkmoth Caterpillar, Manduca quinquemaculatus, a species that feeds on the leaves of tomatoes and related plants.  Was there a nearby tomato patch?  You can compare your image to a dark individual on the Sphingidae of the Americas website.

Thank you so much for your response, Daniel. There were no tomato plants in the vicinity, but the yellow diagonal marking do seem to be similar.
Diane

The caterpillars of the Five Spotted Hawkmoth will also feed on native plants that are not cultivated, including nightshade and jimson weed.  It is also possible that we have incorrectly identified the species, though it appears that the caudal horn is black, another identifying feature.

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Posted 07 November 2011 § Hornworms ‡ Comments (0) °

Possibly Owlet Caterpillar from Mexico

caterpillar ID
Location: MEXICO, YUCATAN, Chichén Itzá
November 7, 2011 8:36 am
Hi bugman, a friend who is staying in the Yucatan, Mexico sent me a picture of a caterpillar he would like IDed for his weekly newsletter, I’ve searched everywhere I can think of for an ID, including your website, but haven’t been able to find not even a clue. He says: ”It’s a hornworm but its horn is just a stub. I suspect it’s been bitten off by something and once was a regular hornworm horn.”
I hope you can help!
Thanks for any you help you can provide!
Signature: Bea

caterpillar mexico bea 300x218 Possibly Owlet Caterpillar from Mexico

Mexican Caterpillar might be Owlet Caterpillar

Dear Bea,
We disagree that this is a Hornworm.  It looks to us like an Owlet Moth Caterpillar in the family Noctuidae and it has markings similar to species in the genus Cuculia known as the Hooded Owlet Moths, many of which are very brightly colored.  See BugGuide for some North American examples.

Posted 07 November 2011 § Cutworms and Owlet Caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

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