Caterpiller
Sun, Nov 23, 2008 at 1:10 PM
Hello, I found this really cool caterpiller in my garden and I can’t find any pictures that match him it seems most are green. I live in central Florida and would like to know what it is and what it eats. Any information you have would be great.
Thank you in advance!
P.S. my kids and I love your website!!!!
Felice Gilmartin
Central Florida
Imperial Moth Caterpillar
Hi Felice,
This is an Imperial Moth Caterpillar, Eacles imperialis. Most specimens of caterpillars of this species are green, but in order to better ensure the survival of the species, there are also blue-green, brown, and orange color variations of this caterpillar. Many caterpillars change color right before pupation. Imperial Moth Caterpillars pupate in the soil, and we suspect this individual left the tree upon which it was feeding, and was searching for a nice plot of dirt in which to pupate when you encountered it. Imperial Moth Caterpillars are not real fussy about their food. Specimens are found on a large variety of deciduous trees and they will even feed on some coniferous trees. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed.
mystery Autumn caterpillar
Sat, Nov 22, 2008 at 5:57 AM
My children found this guy on their treehouse in October. We have scoured the internet and our caterpillar field guide for his identity. I suspect this is a moth larva.
J, M, and S
Baton Rouge, LA
Stinging Slug Caterpillar
Dear J,M, and S,
We are happy to hear the children did not suffer a painful sting after handling this Stinging Slug Caterpillar. Your specimen is in the genus Euclea. We found a matching image on BugGuide, but it is not identified to the species level. The Spiny Oak Slug Moth, Euclea delphinii, is the only species identified in the genus, so your specimen is either a closely related species, or a color variation on the Spiny Oak Slug Moth.
colorful caterpillar
Thu, Nov 20, 2008 at 9:41 AM
Hello, Bug Man: Thanks for identifying my velvet moth. Here is a photo of a chartreuse caterpillar with a striking turquoise head. It has fine, branched white bristles and is about 2 inches long. I found it on my patio in Costa Rica. I’ve never seen a caterpillar like it before although I’ve been living here almost fourteen years. Any idea what kind of butterfly or moth it will be? I’ve seen a lot of skippers and large sulfer butterflies around lately and many moths. But I haven’t seen the caterpillars. During the heavy rains here many insects come on to my covered patio.
Mary Thorman
Costa Rica
Unknown Caterpillar from Costa Rica
Hi again Mary,
Sadly, there are not many online sources for correctly identifying the caterpillars of Costa Rica. We would advise you to try to raise the caterpillar to adulthood to see what it metamorphoses into. The 17th Century naturalist, Maria Sibylla Merian lived in Surinam for two years and she observed and documented insect metamorphosis. Knowing the food plant is a big help in raising caterpillars. Many caterpillars leave the food source when they are about to pupate, and that may be why you found this striking specimen on your patio.
¶ Posted 22 November 2008 § ‡ ° Caterpillar with a crown?
Wed, Nov 12, 2008 at 6:22 AM
Hi, I found this caterpillar-like creature in a canal near my house. Can you help me to identify it? Thank you.
JY
Singapore
Nawab Caterpillar
Hi JY,
This is a Nawab Caterpillar from the genus Polyura. Information online indicates that there are only two species in Singapore. The caterpillar is not an exact match to the Blue Nawab, Polyura schreiber tisamenus, pictured on the Expert Insight website, but it looks even less like the Plain Nawab, Polyura hebe, also pictured on the Expert Insight website. We also located a Polyura web page that indicates there are more species in Singapore, but we can’t locate images of the caterpillars. You will have to be satisfied with the genus Polyura and the common name Nawab Butterfly. In March 2008, we posted a photo of an Australian member of the genus, Polyura sempronius, and found that its common name is the Tailed Emperor.
Correction: December 18, 2008
Caterpillar Identifications
Hello again, Daniel. a few other IDs and correction. Only two Nawabs ( Polyura ) presently fly in Singapore, both of which I am familiar with. This is a larval Blue Nawab ( P. schreiber ), which can be distinguished from the Plain Nawab ( P. hebe ) by its differently configured head horns and single — though at times absent, as here — dorsal crescent. I hope the above information is helpful.
Best wishes,
Keith Wolfe
aka “EarlyStages”
Mystery Caterpillar in Greenwood, S.C.
Thu, Nov 6, 2008 at 11:13 AM
Hi,
I work at the Greenwood Humane Society here in Greenwood, S.C. While our director was photographing dogs for adoption she spotted this awesome little guy. She called us out ot see if we could id it. I think it looks kind of like a tobacco hornworm ,but upon closer inspection that doesn’t seem right. She guesses it’s size at about 3″ long and 1/4″ in diameter. It is November 6th, but the weather has been very warm for fall here. Today it was around 65-70 degrees. I love your website! Thank you for your time, and all that you do!
M.Bohland
Greenwood, S.C.
Luna Moth Caterpillar
Hi M,
Your Luna Moth Caterpillar has probably come out of the trees to find a place to spin its cocoon. Luna Moths spin their cocoon inside of a dried leaf on the ground and pass the winter in the leaf litter under the snow if it is in an area that freezes.
Caterpillars feeding on speckled alder
Fri, Nov 7, 2008 at 1:14 PM
Hi!
I really like your website – it’s been very helpful in identifying many of the insects that I’ve found. These caterpillars I’m having a hard time with though. I saw them during the summer, munching on speckled alder leaves on an island in Georgian Bay. As you can see in the photograph, they are yellow, black and white striped, with reddish orange heads and a big reddish bump a little ways behind the head as well. They have several hairs and stiff black spikes along them. Do you know what they are?
Kristin
Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada
Red Humped Caterpillars
Hi Kristin,
It took us a bit of searching before we were able to identify your Red Humped Caterpillars, Schizura concinna, but we eventually located it on BugGuide where it is described as: ” has bright red head and red hump over segment A3. Striping is variable but includes black, yellow and white pinstripes. Takes up a defensive posture raising the rear end when disturbed. ” This is a Prominent Caterpillar in the family Notodontidae.
Black and White Horizontal Striped Caterpillar
Tue, Nov 4, 2008 at 7:34 PM
My daughter and I found this caterpillar that we cannot find a match for anywhere on-line. I sifted through many of your pics of caterpillars and typed in search information for: black and white horizontal striped caterpillar. Nothing came up. The closest identification we could come up with was catalpa caterpillar but ours does not have a tail thing that sticks up like the photos of catalpas and it seems catalpas are more greenish than white. And there are no catalpa trees in the vicinity that it was found. It was found this month: November on an old gravel logging road that’s wooded on both sides, mostly pine, gum and oak trees.
Laurie and Lindsey
SW Arkansas (Arklatex)
Turbulent Phosphila Caterpillar
Hi Laurie and Lindsey,
Sorry to have taken so long to reply since we recognized your caterpillar as something we had identified in the past, but between work obligations and the slowness of our 5 year old computer, it has taken us longer than usual to identify an image we wanted to post. We found two examples of your caterpillar in our archives dating from September 2005. Back then it also took us days to properly identify the Turbulent Phosphila, Phosphila turbulenta, which ranges in the Eastern U.S. and Canada and feeds on Greenbriar.
Large Fuzzy Fat Catapillar with dangles
Mon, Nov 3, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Found this critter right outside my kitchen window, seemed to move very slowly over the week. Then started growing the dangling things off of his/her body.
M.Sims – Garland TX
N. Texas (Dallas/Ft Worth-area)
Pandorus Sphinx Caterpillar parasitised by Braconid Wasp
Hi M.,
This is a Pandorus Sphinx Caterpillar, Eumorpha pandorus, and it has been parasitized by a Braconid Wasp. The Brachonid Wasp lays its eggs inside the caterpillar and the larvae feed on the internal organs, eventually emerging and pupating on the outside of the caterpillar. You can see some of the pupae have “hatched” and the adult Braconid Wasps have emerged. Sadly, the Pandorus Sphinx Caterpillar will die.
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