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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Nawab Caterpillar from Singapore

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

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.

Posted 14 November 2008 § butterflies ‡ Comments (0) °

Luna Moth Caterpillar

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

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.

Posted 08 November 2008 § Luna Moth - Rare Specimen § Silkworms ‡ Comments (1) °

Red Humped Caterpillar

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

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.

Posted 08 November 2008 § moth caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Turbulent Phosphila Caterpillar

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

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.

Posted 07 November 2008 § moth caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °

Pandorus Sphinx Caterpillar parasitized by Braconid Wasp

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 Brachonid Wasp

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.

Posted 05 November 2008 § Hornets and Wasps § Hornworms ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Polyphemus Moth Caterpillar

Big Yellow-Green Crawler with mouse teeth
Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 3:25 PM
I found this crawling down our driveway this morning and the kids and I want to know what it is? We live in North Texas and have some Live Oak trees.
Always Wondering
Dallas, TX area

Polyphemus Caterpillar

Polyphemus Caterpillar

Dear Always,
This is a Polyphemus Moth Caterpillar, Antheraea polyphemus, and you may find information on the caterpillar and moth by visiting BugGuide. Giant Silkworm Caterpillars like this are often noticed when they leave trees and search for places to pupate.

Posted 03 November 2008 § Silkworms ‡ Comments (1) °

Laugher Caterpillar and Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Two fuzzy caterpillars
Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 9:56 AM
I found this caterpillar on the ground underneath my oak tree. His white fuzz had caught the afternoon sunlight causing him to almost glow! He was making his way across my driveway towards the trunk of said oak tree. I snapped a bunch of pictures hoping to ID him online, but I cant find anything that looks like him. I stuck him on the tree just in case that was his destination (my roommates kill bugs!). And since I just referred to it as a he throughout, can you tell me if caterpillars have genders? The second was found on a weed very near the first one. It looks like a tussock moth caterpillar but I cant find an exact match. Love your site, and thanks in advance!
Dana
Athens, Georgia

Laugher

Laugher

Hi Dana,
Your white caterpillar with the markings on its head is known as the Laugher, Charadra deridens.  You may read about it and see a photo on the Caterpillars of the Eastern Forests website.  We believe your Tussock Moth Caterpillar is in the genus Dasychira based on images posted to BugGuide.

Tussock Caterpillar

Tussock Caterpillar

Posted 03 November 2008 § moth caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °

newly molted Asp

Cocoon popped up found suddenly
Tue, Oct 28, 2008 at 8:24 AM
I was working in my yard and clearing out my shed throwing things away mostly, in a trash can I keep in the backyard. I used the trash can about every 20 mins. One trip to the trash can, there was nothing on the lid of the trash can. On the next trip was this (presumably) cocoon. I lightly touched it and something inside moved once, from left to right. I brought the lid into my garage where I could watch cocoon and protect it from a cold front due in that night.
About 36 hrs later the cocoon (or whatever) moved from it’s original spot and left part of it’s body (?) behind which is shown in the photos.
The insect is about 2 cm long and about 1 cm wide.
Thank you for your time and your website..it’s GREAT
Terry
South Central Texas

Asp freshly molted

Asp freshly molted

Hi Terry,
This is an Asp, a stinging caterpillar of the Puss Moth.  It is freshly molted.  You are lucky you were not stung as it is reported to be quite painful.

Posted 29 October 2008 § moth caterpillars ‡ Comments (0) °

Horned Spanworm Moth

filament bearer caterpillar
Sat, Oct 18, 2008 at 9:22 AM
Hi Buggies,
I love your website. I searched for this species of caterpillar, but couldn’t find it on your site–thought you might like to see this filament bearer, Nemocampa resistaria (according to my Caterpillars of Eastern North America by David L. Wagner, a book no Eastern North American bug lover should be without). I took this photo in my back yard in northwestern New Jersey in early June of 2008. When I saw the caterpillar inching across the picnic table, my first thought was, “There’s no breeze; why is that twig moving?” It does look just like a piece of Virginia Creeper vine, or the wild grape vines that also grow around here.
Enjoy!
Jeannie
Newton, New Jersey

Horned Spanworm

Horned Spanworm

Hi Jeannie,
BugGuide also refers to this interesting inchworm species as the Horned Spanworm.  Your wonderful photo with its dramatic shadow is a perfect Halloween image.

Posted 19 October 2008 § Inchworms ‡ Comments (0) °

Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar

Caterpillar Resembles Lizard and Bird Droppings
Fri, Oct 17, 2008 at 5:02 PM Dear Bugman,
Love the website. Maybe you can help me indentify these stranger caterpillars I found this morning terrorizing my baby lemon tree. At first, I thought they were lizards, because of the “eyes” on their backs, and noticed they also look like bird poo . The biggest one erected two giant antenae. I captured some of the larger, more aggressive ones and created a little habitat. Any chance they’ll turn into butterflies?
Thanks! -Kyle
Palm Springs, CA 92262

Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar

Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar

Hi Kyle,
This is a Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar and it will metamorphose into a large lovely brown and yellow butterfly.

Posted 18 October 2008 § swallowtails ‡ Comments (0) °

Cattail Caterpillar

showy fall caterpillar
Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 7:16 AM
Dear Friends:
I found this caterpillar in a typical grassy meadow (perhaps brome grass, Bromus inermis), at the beginning of this month (October 2008). I’m sometimes able to figure out things by searching them on-line but this one stumped me. I don’t often see bright caterpillars this late in the year.
thanks,
Gavin Miller
just north of Toronto, ON

Cattail Caterpillar

Cattail Caterpillar

Hi Gavin,
We are surprised as how quickly we located your Cattail Caterpillar, Simyra insularis, on BugGuide. Because the caterpillar feeds on cattail, smartweed, grasses, sedges, poplar and willow, the habitat includes marsh edges, wooded riverbanks, and generally any damp area where larval foodplants grow.  The adult is also known as Henry’s Marsh Moth.

Posted 15 October 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Slug Moth Caterpillar

Wierd Green Slug/Bug/Caterpillar
Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 8:58 AM
Hi, my son and I recently found this(bug) on the ground outside our house. I tried to look it up online, but found nothing. It is very small and strange looking. It sticks to your finger on the bottom it looks like small hairs almost velco like. When touched it seems to shrink up a very small amount you have to watch it VERY close or it doesn’t even look like it is moving. We call it our alien bug. We brought it inside and put it into our plant container, about 6 hours later it was gone, or so we thought until we found a small brown ball in the corner. When I poked it, it opened up and the bug was inside. I took pictures of it and by morning it was in a ball again. What is this? I am so curious. What is it going to turn into when it emerges?
Renee
Macomb, Michigan

Slug Moth Caterpillar

Slug Moth Caterpillar

Hi Renee,
Your caterpillar is one of the Stinging Slug Moth Caterpillars, Isa textula.  The adult moth is brown and relatively nondescript.  You can see images of both the caterpillar and adult moth on BugGuide.

Posted 15 October 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Imperial Moth Caterpillar

Large Green Catapillar
Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 5:29 PM
Hi, once again, I took this picture of this catapillar in September, and of all the catapillars that I have watched I have never seen one of these before, It is eating a pine tree. It was about 4 inches long and as you can see in the picture it is green and yellow and hairy, and it seems to have little hands that it is holding the pine needle with, while chewing on them, Is this a catapillar or some type of larvae? Is it dangerous? I have grandchildren that love to hold bugs. Thanks for any information.
Lisa Benningfield
Eastern Kentucky, USA

Imperial Moth Caterpillar

Imperial Moth Caterpillar

Hi Lisa,
Your photo of an Imperial Moth Caterpillar is quite beautiful.  The Imperial Moth Caterpillar feeds on a wide range of trees, and it is the only caterpillar we can think of that eats deciduous as well as coniferous trees.  The adult is a large beautiful yellow and maroon moth.

Posted 13 October 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Question Mark Caterpillar

Black & Red Caterpiller
Sun, Oct 12, 2008 at 10:52 AM
My 4 year old son found this caterpiller in our backyard along with many monarch caterpillers. We live in northern Oklahoma and there are a lot of critters around here & I had just never seen something like this before. I was hoping you’d be able to tell me what kind of caterpiller it is so we can put it in our nature book we started. It’s a great way to get out of the house on a nice day and to teach your children about outside & nature. So please let us know what kind of caterpiller this is. He’s a strange one.
Heather from OK
northwestern oklahoma

Question Mark Caterpillar

Question Mark Caterpillar

Hi Heather,
We believe your caterpillar is a Question Mark Butterfly, Polygonia interrogationis.  This is a highly variable caterpillar species, but there is an image on BugGuide that is very close in coloration, though your specimen is much brighter.  Question Mark Caterpillars feed on Nettle, false nettle, elms, hackberry, Japanese hops, and it would be very helpful to know what the food plant was for your specimen.

Posted 13 October 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Ello Sphinx Caterpillar and Emerged Adult

Large, smooth, green caterpillar in Florida
Hello Bugman!
I hope you can help me. I found this lovely, large caterpillar on a silver buttonwood bush in my Florida yard. I live in Brevard County on the east coast. Two sites have suggested that it may be a Tantalus Moth, but I could not find photos of a Tantalus Moth caterpillar online or in any books to verify it. This picture shows the critter on the branch he was eating. Do you recognize this caterpillar? He is 3″ long, the size of my index finger. Thank you!
Donna Peters
Indialantic, FL

Fig Sphinx Caterpillar

Fig Sphinx Caterpillar

Hi Donna,
We are nearly certain that this is the caterpillar of the Fig Sphinx, Pachylia ficus. This is a highly variable caterpillar. We have checked Bill Oehlke’s excellent website, and the coloration on your specimen somewhat resembles one on his site, but it is still different. We are going to copy Bill Oehlke on this response so he can verify that our identification is correct. If our identification is correct, then the silver buttonwood bush, Conocarpus erectus, would be a new host plant for the caterpillar which feeds on members of the genus Ficus, the figs. Bill Oehlke may also request permission to post your interesting color variation on his own website.

Thank you, so much, for following up with me. I have several silver buttonwoods, and I have poured over all of them looking for more caterpillars, but this guy seems to be it. One of our neighbors has a fig tree, which may be worth mentioning. I don’t know if it translated in the photos, but the darker shade on the caterpillar’s back is purplish. Quite lovely!
Again, thank you.
Donna Peters

October 16, 2008
Daniel,
Here is reply I sent to Donna regarding “Pachylia ficus”
I am going to ask Jim Tuttle for his opinion. I wil get back to you and to Donna if I get an id from Jim

Hi Donna,
I am pretty sure the larvae are of one of the Erinnyis species, probably Erinnyis ello, possibly Erinnyis alope. I wil try for a second opinion and get back to you.
I am almost positive they are not Pachylia ficus.
Bill Oehlke

Daniel,
Jim Tuttle has confirmed the larvae are Erinnyis ello.
Bill Oehlke

Update: 11 November 2008
Hi Bill,
The caterpillar you identified for me as Erinnyis ello emerged today and was released this evening. I have attached a photo. It vibrated it’s wings on the potted plant for about 5 minutes, then flew away over the house. My 7 year old son loved it. Thanks again! :)
Donna Peters

Ello Sphinx

Ello Sphinx

Hi Donna,
Thanks for updating us on the emergence of your adult Ello Sphinx.

Posted 12 October 2008 § Hornworms § Hummingbird Moths, Sphinx Moths or Hawk Moths ‡ Comments (0) °

Imperial Moth Eggs Hatching

praying mantis eating a wheel bug, unknown eggs
Sat, Oct 11, 2008 at 9:12 PM
HELLO BUGMAN!
… We are also including a hatching photo we took this August. The eggs were stuck to the brick wall outside our classroom and we watched daily to see what was going to happen. We’d loved to know what was coming out! Thank you so much for your help!
Always looking for bugs,
Fours and fives in PA
Southeastern PA

Imperial Moth Eggs Hatching

Imperial Moth Eggs Hatching

Dear Teacher of Fours and Fives,
We are most certain the eggs are those of an Imperial Moth.  BugGuide shows good life cycle images and your first instar caterpillar, except for being a bit lighter, looks quite close to those images.

Posted 12 October 2008 § Eggs ‡ Comments (0) °

White Furcula Caterpillar

Camo Bug
Sat, Oct 11, 2008 at 1:48 PM
I found this character hiding in a willow tree today. He hooks his tail around like a scorpion in a treatening manner when I stroked his back with a leaf.
Wondering in Waplole
Walpole MA

White Furcula Caterpillar

White Furcula Caterpillar

Dear Wondering,
Your caterpillar is one of the Prominent Moth Caterpillars, most probably the White Furcula, Furcula borealis, based on images posted to BugGuide.

Posted 11 October 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Rustic Sphinx Caterpillar, not Incense Cedar Sphinx

LARGE Caterpillar
Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 9:32 AM
I found this 8 inch long black caterpillar in my pool skimmer. It is the size of a cigar, has a green face and a green antennae poking up from it’s butt. And it stinks! We live in North Jeannine,
Phoenix, Arizona

Incense Cedar Sphinx Caterpillar

Incense Cedar Sphinx Caterpillar

Hi Jeannine,
Though we question the exact size of your caterpillar, we will agree that Sphinx Moth Caterpillars can get quite large. We suspect this may be an Incense Cedar Sphinx Caterpillar, Sphinx libocedrus . Except for the color of the horn, it seems to match the dark form of
the caterpillar on Bill Oehlke’s website. We are going to copy Bill Oehlke on our reply as he is compiling comprehensive data on species distribution. We also hope he will confirm our identification.

Daniel,
Thank you for keeping me in check. I was so impressed with it’s size and smell, that I was too excited to remember to take a pic with a ruler. So you are quite right, it is “only” about 5 1/2 inches long. I’ve attached the pic I took this AM with my tape measure. And if you could copy me on Bill’s response to your e-mail, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for the info!
Jeannine

Daniel,
I think it is an unusual dark Manduca rustica. I am going to send it and another similar one I received couple weeks ago, also from Arizona, to Jim Tuttle. Will let you know.
Bill Oehlke

Thanks Daniel,
Don’t know if I emailed you but Jim Tuttle has confirmed the dark larva found in swimming pool in Arizona as Manduca rustica.
Bill Oehlke

Posted 09 October 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Imperial Moth Caterpillar

Imperial Moth Caterpillar
Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 5:39 PM
The rangers at the tool shed at the Crater of Diamonds in southern Arkansas had captured this caterpillar and were asking everyone if they knew what it was.
I didn’t know, but I knew where to find out.
I hope this image is better than the one you have, but nevertheless I turned them all on to your incredible site. Pic taken near the first of October.
Mike Green
Southern Arkansas

Imperial Moth Caterpillar

Imperial Moth Caterpillar

Thanks Mike,
We don’t like to consider one image better than another, just different.

Same Individual, Different Submission???
Large caterpillar found at park
Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Large caterpillar found at park
I work at a state park in southwest Arkansas and recently had a visitor bring in a very large caterpillar (about four inches long) he had found while exploring. Several people took photos of the beautiful specimen, and many offered guesses as to what it could be. As my particular park is more geologically-focused, I regret to say I was not able to accurately identify the caterpillar for its finder. It was very lively, walking across our table, and had powerful legs and mandibles. I released the caterpillar onto a sweetgum tree on the park premises. I have browsed through numerous photos, hoping to find exactly what type it may be. The closest I have come is a luna moth caterpillar, but none of the photographs I have seen depict exactly the same features as this caterpillar. Can you help out?
Waymon
southwest Arkansas

Imperial Moth Caterpillar

Imperial Moth Caterpillar

Hi Wayman,
We have a sneaky suspicion that your co-worker Mike submitted an image of the same Imperial Moth Caterpillar.  In the spirit of equity, we are posting both of your photos.

Posted 09 October 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °

Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar

Caterpillar
Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 6:21 PM
Dear Bugman,
Today, I found this caterpillar on my driveway underneath a Hickory tree. It is about 1 1/2 inches long, light brown, purple dots and two, yellow, “eye-like” dots on its body behind its head. When I carefully picked it up, I must have startled it and a strange yellow, forked tongue(?) came to its defense along with a strange odor. I’ve seen many insect defense mechanisms but none quite like this. Anyway, I live in Sussex County, New Jersey (northwest) and have never seen a caterpillar like this. Looking at your photos it appears to be a swallowtail of some type. Can you identify for sure? Thanks!
Tina Newfield
Northwest NJ, Sussex County

Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar

Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar

Hi Tina,
This is most likely an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar, but you are also within the range of the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail.  This typically green caterpillar changes color to brown or occasionally orange just before pupation.  The scent gland you mentioned is characteristic of the swallowtails and is known as the osmetrium.

Posted 09 October 2008 § ‡ Comments (0) °