What's That Bug: More Caterpillars and Pupa

Unknown Spiny Amazonian Caterpillar
(06/17/2006) amazon caterpillar
Hi:
I stumbled on your web site while trying to find this caterpillar. It was in a jungle village in Northern Brazil, I took it for a venomous species and the locals said it can even be deadly (but they sometimes have exaggerated notions about the local fauna). Can you identify it and tell me anthing about it? Thank you,
Brent Gregory
Castanhal, Pará, Brasil

Hi Brent,
We don't know what species this Caterpillar is, but we do know that similar looking caterpillars often have poison spines. They aren't deadly, but can cause a painful or irritating sting. It is a gorgeous specimen and we hope someone can identify it.

Update (06/19/2006)
Hi folks,
Though I too don't know what this caterpillar is, I thought I'd add that yeah, some caterpillars are deadly to the touch. Kirby Wolfe's excellent website [amazing images of Saturnids worldwide!] includes Lonomia achelous, which is both camouflaged and lethal. Have a look at http://www.insectcompany.com/silkmoth/kwlachelous.htm. The caterpillar of Another genus, Dirphia, supposedly, can drive the victim mad with pain; I know that that sounds like comic-book talk, but there might be something to it. I learned about it on this forum thread http://www.insectnet.com/dcforum/DCForumID1/717.html and they referred to these images of Dirpia: http://janzen.sas.upenn.edu/caterpillars/dblinks/cklistcat.lasso?herbsp=Dirphia
David Gracer

Thanks for the fascinating information David.

Pink Striped Oakworm
(06/03/2006) Jones Family catapillar picture
Hello we are the Jones Family from Orlando Florida, and we were happy to run across your website, while trying to identify this creature. The closest we came was the orange striped oak worm picture on your website, but obviously ours had different coloring. After we took some pictures we let him/her go on its way. Our family particularly my seven year old son have started a small butterfly garden in which we hope to continue to build on, we will definitely continue to send more pictures in the future. Do you think you can tell us what this is a picture of and maybe a little about this creature such as what it turns into. Thanks
The Jones Family Arlene, Craig, Sean, Aaron, and Caleb

Hi Joneses,
Your caterpillar is a Pink Striped Oakworm, Anisota virginiensis, and it is a close relative of the Orange Striped Oakworm. It will metamorphose into a small Saturnid Moth.

Western Grape Leaf Skeletonizer
(06/02/2006) caterpiller
WTB, you guys are wonderfull. I had a question about an Orange Dog a while back @ you guys got back to me right-a-way. Thank-you. I have another Caterpiller I'm curious about. I didn't see any other pictures of them, so hopefully you'll get this one I'm sending. (Computer illiterate) I live in Chandler, AZ. ( Phoenix area). Our neighbors have some grape vines growing over our fence. I was very excited that we were going to have fresh grapes until I noticed they were covered by these yellow, black & blue stripped caterpillars. They don't really seem to be eating the grapes, just the leaves. The plant does seem to be dying however, I don't know if its from these little guys or just neglect. The one I took a picture of is one of the larger ones. About a 1/2 in. Any-way, what are they? Will they go for any of our other plants, for example, our orange tree? Are they poisonous if eaten by our dogs? Could they be killing the grape vines, & should I be concerned about them? Thanks again,
Cindy

Hi again Cindy,
We have been away and are just catching up on letters. This caterpillar is a Western Grape Leaf Skeletonizer, Harrisina brillians. This is a new caterpillar for our site. They are a major defoliating pest of grapes and will not spread to your other trees. If they are numerous, they will completly strip a vineyard of leaves. This will not kill the vines, but it will not be a good year for grapes. They will not poison your pets.

Probably Thoas Swallowtail
(05/30/2006) Mexican Swallowtail - Giant Swallowtail or Thoas Swallowtail?
hi Bugman!
I wrote a few weeks ago after I found a caterpillar I could not identify. I gave it a habitat and let it do it's thing. I came home to a beautiful swallowtail yesterday! I originially thought it was an 'orange dog' caterpillar --- but it wasn't quite the right colors.

Then I found a Mexican website (I live in Tucson Arizona) and was able to see it was some sort of swallowtail larva. I have attached a photo sequence of caterpillar, to chrysallis, to butterfly.

It's happily fluttering about my yard now, but I think I got some good pics while it was in my care. This time I sent web-ready versions if you want to post them. I'm having trouble determining if it's Giant Swallowtail or Thoas Swallowtail. See:
http://www.mariposasmexicanas.com/papilio_heraclides_cresphontes.htm
and http://www.mariposasmexicanas.com/papilio_heraclides_thoas_autocles.htm
I cannot really determine (even by Googling) if the lower wing red markings are classic of either species since my swallowtail has more red going up the lower wing. Either way, it seemed to be a mexican variety (sandy coloring) of the usual dark brown/white orange dog caterpillar. I love your site! You got me hooked and trying to identify this critter! Thanks!
Adrienne

Hi Adrienne,
Thanks for all the photos and research. According to BugGuide: The Giant Swallowtail is "Distinguished from P. thoas by the larger spots forming in the lower left leg of the X on the front wing. " Your specimen has small spots on the forewings, so we favor Thoas Swallowtail. Here is just one more link with information.

Metamorphosis of the Hackberry Emperor
(05/25/2006) A complete Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis) collection
Dear Lisa Anne and Daniel,
Today I want to add some more beauty to your wonderful site. It feels prestiguous to be published on it. Here I am sending the picture collection of the Hackberry Emperor to you. It shows the main stages from when one can find them as young caterpillars in early spring until the butterfly is hatched. For those people who want to distinguish the young stages from the Tawny Emperor (A. clyton), one should pay attention to the almost black head of the very young caterpillars.

In later caterpillar instars, the horns of the hackberry Emperor (A. celtis) have much shorter spines. The older caterpillars have typical white stripes which are not in line with the head-tail body axis. These stripes will also be visible on the pupa and are white and clearly visible on the pupa.

The butterfly resembles to the Painted Lady, and care should be taken when identifying it. So, there are still a few pictures of the Tawny Emperor coming. It can't take long until the photo model is close to hatch. Until then, have a nice weekend, and I will get back to you soon with the last batch of pictures for this spring.
Best regards,
Thomas
Madison/Wisconsin

Hi again Thomas,
We are so lucky to get each awesome batch of images you send our way. Your patience in unparalleled. Not only do you raise all these wonderful caterpillars, you get amazing photographs of all the stages. If we are nearing the end of the photos for this season, we can't wait to see what next spring will bring. Have a great day.
Daniel and Lisa Anne

Tawny Emperor Metamorphosis
(05/21/2006) Tawny Emperor - Asterocampa clyton
Hi again,
Here comes one of the promised picture series of the Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton). The caterpillars of this species hibernate on twigs in the second instar. I found caterpillars right after their hibernation in the beginning and middle of May in Madison/Wisconsin, mainly on the underside of Hackberry leaves, often on the same twig together with caterpillars of the more common species, the Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis). When the Tawny Emperor caterpillars begin to eat in spring, their appearance is hairy and of brownish colour. Their head is never black, (while the head of the young Hackberry Emperor caterpillar is clearly black). When they grow bigger, they are characterized by longitudinal stripes of different colours: a blue-green midline, borderd by two broad yellow stripes. The pre-pupa is attached to a leaf and is whitish-green. The pupa is green and relatively flat, its shape reminds to half a leaf. The pupa has some weak yellowish lines but is basically lacking the clear white stripes on the abdomen, which are a typical character of its sister species, the Hackberry Emperor. The story will be continued with pictures of the pharate pupa and some butterflies.
Best regards,
Thomas
Madison/Wisconsin

Hi Again Thomas,
Once again, we are thankful for the fabulous photo series you have contributed to our site.

Cecropia Moth Cocoon
(05/21/2006) picture of a chrysalis
here is a chrysalis I found in my back yard......does it contain a good or bad moth? Thanks for any reply
Roy

Hi Roy,
This is a Cecropia Moth Cocoon, a big beautiful Giant Silk Moth.

Red Spotted Purple Pupa and Butterfly: The Saga Continues!!
(05/13/2006) Red Spotted Purple - A Happy End
Dear Bugman,
The photo model hatched today, which provided us with a nice photo series: The Red Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax). To end this story, I am sending a picture of the pharate pupa and the hatched butterfly (sitting next to its exuvie). I will give you a little break from my letters now, but I will return, because I am preparing a photo series of two very interesting and closely related species: Asterocampa celtis (Hackberry Emperor) and A. clyton (Tawny Emperor). I have already some gorgeous pictures of very small and bigger caterpillars of both species, but I will wait until I have photos of the pupae as well.
Best regards,
Thomas
Madison/Wisconsin

Hi Thomas,
Thank you for keeping us abreast of this fascinating saga. We eagerly await your next series. Have a wonderful day.
Daniel and Lisa Anne

another Red Spotted Purple Caterpillar or Viceroy, Who Knows???
(05/12/2006) Red-Spotted Purple Caterpillar?
I thoroughly enjoyed going through all 5 caterpillar pages. What an education! I thought maybe I'd found a rare caterpillar because I didn't see anything resembling it until the last page. Whatever it is, it is one strange looking critter! Is my ID right? What does it turn into? This was in some sort of willow, I think, growing at the water's edge on the dam of our pond in Powhatan, VA.
Thanks,
Linda

Hi Linda,
We admire your tenacity, looking through all five of our Caterpillar pages. Your identification is correct. This is a Red Spotted Purple Caterpillar. We have photos of the adult butterflies on our two butterfly pages.

Viceroy vs. Red-Spotted Purple
My extension agent said the caterpillar that I submitted (image included) is a Viceroy. I googled for Viceroy and I see that they are similar to the Purple. How do you tell the difference?
Thanks,
Linda

Hi Linda,
We don't believe we can distinguish for certain between the two. We will see if Thomas from Madison has an opinion.

The Limenitis caterpillar problem (05/21/2006)
Dear Daniel and Lisa Anne,
Regarding your question about the published Limenitis caterpillar (Red Spotted Purple versus Viceroy) from May 12, I tend to think that it is a Viceroy, because of its long horns. However, the caterpillar of the Viceroy is extremely similar in shape to a subspecies of the Red Spotted Purple, namely Limenitis arthemis arizonensis. The fact that Viceroy caterpillars vary in their colour makes it very hard to distinguish these two from each other. (See the link below). I have been breeding butterflies and moths for 25 years now, but most of them are European species, and unfortunately I haven't had Viceroy caterpillars or L.a. arizonensis in my hands yet. So I can't tell for sure, what the exact species is on the photograph. The best thing to do in this case would be to breed the caterpillar until the butterfly hatches. http://www.mariposasmexicanas.com/limenitis_arthemis_arizonensis.htm
Best regards,
Thomas
Madison/Wisconsin

Red Spotted Purple Caterpillar becomes Pupa
(05/10/2006) Red Spotted Purple update (caterpillar, pre-pupa, pupa)
Dear Bugman,
For a few days ago my Red Spotted Purple caterpillars had the honour to be on your website. Today I am sending some more pictures of the later development: the last instar caterpillar, the pre-pupa, and the pupa. Best regards, and keep making people happy with your website,
Thomas
Madison/Wisconsin

Hi Thomas,
Thanks for the update and awesome photos. Actually, your previous photos are still on our site, but in the interest of new additions, they needed to be romoved from the homepage. Their permanent home, for as long as we have a site, is on the fifth caterpillar page.

Oleander Caterpillar
(05/10/2006) Bright Orange Crawly
So can you identify this guy from Hudson, Florida. There are a few around my house.
P.W. Fenton
Hudson, Florida

Hi P.W.,
The Oleander Caterpillar is the larval form of the Polka-Dot Wasp Moth, Syntomeida epilais.

Question Mark Caterpillar
(05/09/2006) Question Mark Caterpillar
Hallo,
Here is a caterpillar I saw while backpacking in South Carolina. I think it is a question mark (?). Didn't see any on your site, does this seem like the right ID?
Robert

Hi Robert,
This is probably a Question Mark Caterpillar, Polygonia interrogationis, but it could be a closely related species like the Comma. At any rate, the posture indicates it is getting ready to form a chrysalis. For the record, there are other Question Mark caterpillars on our five caterpillar pages.

Abbott's Sphinx Caterpillar: Brown Morph
(05/08/2006) Whats This Bug
I found this bug on the ground below an old oak with many vines. I live in north west Florida. I believe it is an Abbot's sphinx caterpillar in a variation other than you had posted from 08/07/2004.
Heather

Hi Heather,
Abbott's Sphinx Caterpillars, Sphecodina abbottii, have several different color morphs, including the brown form in your photograph.

Sphinx Moth Caterpillar, Probably White-Lined Sphinx
(05/07/2006) Species Identification
Hello,
My name is Michael Reaid, and I am currently a graduate student at FSU. Unfortunately, my field of biochemistry leaves me with little experience in the entomology world. I was recently (August 2005) in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana on a hike when I came across an interesting caterpillar. I am just very curious to find out what it is. I've attached three digital pictures (optimized, to save mailbox space, so excuse the graininess) I took of it on the trail before I moved it aside into some vegetation. I would really appreciate an ID, or being sent in the right direction. Thank you very much!
Cheers,
Michael Reaid

Hi Michael,
Bill Oehlke's excellent site lists very few members of the family Sphingidae in Montana, but there are three species in the genus Hyles. This is most definitely one of them. The two likliest are Hyles lineata and Hyles gallii. Both species have similar looking caterpillars with high variability. None matches your specimen exactly. We suspect Hyles lineata, the Striped Morning sphinx or White-Lined Sphinx, to be the liklier candidate. We also suspect a green caterpillar has changed color before pupating.

Red Spotted Purple Caterpillars
(05/03/2006) Young caterpillars and hibernaculum - Redspotted Purple
Dear Bugman,
Your site is really fantastic and I would like to make a contribution to your picture collection. So, what I have for you is a hibernaculum, a small caterpillar and a medium sized caterpillar of the Redspotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax). I found them on a bush of Wild Cerry on the 2:nd of May (yesterday)in Madison/Wisconsin close to Lake Mendota, all on the same twig. They are standing on my kitchen table now and I am planning to provide you with more pictures of their development. Last year I was breeding about 10 caterpillars from the same region, and all of them were Redspotted Purples, no White Admirals or mixed forms were between them. Thank you so much for providing such a wonderful site!
Best regards,
Thomas Werner, PhD
Laboratory of Molecular Biology
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Hi Thomas,
We are posting your two caterpillar images, but we are having trouble making out the Hibernaculum in the third photo, unless you are speaking about the plant bud.

(05/04/2006)
Hi Bugman,
I am very happy to see my pictures on your side. So, the hibernaculum is the dried little leaf. The caterpillars cut off the distal part of the leaf in autumn, leaving the central part intact and cover it with silk, so that it forms a tube. The hibernaculum is fastened to the twig with silk and doesn't fall off during winter. I hope I could help you finding it on the picture. My medium sized caterpillar has just molted, so here comes an addition to the collection.
Best regards,
Thomas

Hi again Thomas,
Thanks for the clarification and the addition. You are such a proud father.

Morpho Caterpillar
(05/03/2006) Blue Morpho Caterpillar
Hi folks at Whatsthatbug!
I thought you might like this picture of a Blue Morpho caterpillar that I took at Butterfly World in South Florida. In the background, which is hard to see, is a crysalis of a Blue Morpho. Cheers!
Lori

Hi again Lori,
Thanks for sending in this photo of an exotic Morpho Caterpillar.

Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar
(05/01/2006) caterpiller
Hi. I am wondering if you can identify this caterpillar? for me. Its about an inch and a half long. It was found on a rose bush in the front yard. I live in Kerrville, Texas.
Thanks in advance
Daniel Burney

Hi Daniel,
This is a Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar, Battus philenor. Rose is not a host plant, so we can only guess a pipevine is growing nearby.

Red-Spotted Purple Catepillar
(04/29/2006) Caterpillar
I found your website while searching for a caterpillar ID, and just spent 2 hours enjoying all your wonderful photos and comments! I found this bird-dropping mimic on a weed in my garden which *might* be a wild cherry since I have a large one in my yard. I am not sure though because the plant is only 10 inches tall! Sadly the next day the caterpillar was gone. I live in Northern Virginia. I think it is a red-spotted purple, what do you think? Thanks for looking at my critter and for having such an awesome site!
Rebecca

Hi Rebecca,
The Red-Spotted Purple, Limenitis arthemis astyanax, and the White Admiral, Limenitis arthemis arthemis, are subspecies with different ranges that overlap. According to BugGuide: "White Admiral ( Limentis arthemis form arthemis ) - the northern form, basically black and white in the east, In the west specimens tend to have red spots on the hind wing and are called Western White Admirals ( Limentis arthemis form rubrofasciata ). In the SE USA and as far north as extreme southern Ontario this species is black and purple (no white band)and is called Red-Spotted Purple ( Limentis arthemis form astyanax ). As there 3 forms are regarded as being the same species, intergrades between them are quite common." Since you have graciously provided us with a location, we can presume you do have the southern Red-Spotted Purple. Thank you for sending in a new caterpillar for our site.

Common Crow Caterpillar from Australia
(04/29/2006) Caterpillar ID
I was hoping you could help me identify these two caterpillars. The brown and green coloured ones (I assume two colour variations of the same species) are on a Taro plant. The tiny caterpillar with the egg is a freshly hatched caterpillar of the same species. The second caterpillar is on a small fig tree. I was thinking perhaps it could be related to a Monarch as they were the most similar pictures i could find. I am located in the Brisbane area, Queensland. By the way, love your site. Do you know of any good Australian caterpillar/butterfly Id sites? I have done lot's of searching but haven't come across anything anywhere near as good as this site. Thanks for your help!
Rebecca

Hi Rebecca,
The brown and green Sphinx Moth caterpillars will be very difficult for us to get a species identification, and we cannot spend the hours of online searching it will take. You will have to be satisfied with just the family Sphingidae. The gloriously beautiful Danainae caterpillar is related to the Monarch. It is the Common Australian Crow, Euploea core corinna. Your caterpillar photo is stunning. Regarding a good site for Australian Butterflies, try http://www.geocities.com/brisbane_butters/index.html though we here at What's That Bug? are seriously thinking of applying for grant money to set up What's That Australian Bug? or What's That Bug Down Under? since we get so many fabulous letters from Australia with wonderful photos. Sadly, right now it is just a thought.

? Caterpillar identified as Yellow Coster
(04/27/2006) What's this bug?
Can't find anything like this by searching online, perhaps you can help. It was feeding on what appeared to be a giant stinging nettle, secreting what I guess is nettle venom from its thorny spines. Length: approx 2 1/4"
Paul

Hi Paul,
We originally thought this might be the caterpillar of the Question Mark, Polygonia interrogationis. But, the following letter just arrived.

(04/10/2007) Caterpillar Identifications
Hello WTB,
Having reared and photographed several hundred species of butterflies (no time for moths) for the past 25+ years, I thought you'd appreciate knowing two IDs that I noticed while quickly scanning your caterpillar pages last night . . .
? Caterpillar (04/27/2006) -- "Yellow coster", Acraea issoria (Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae, Acraeini); larval foodplant: many Urticaceae, e.g., non-stinging Boehmeria and Debregeasia in Taiwan and India. See pix of caterpillars and chrysalis at < http://nc.kl.edu.tw/bbs/showthread.php?t=7943 > (accompanying text in Chinese). I hope this information is helpful and of some interest. Best wishes,
Keith Wolfe
Antioch, CA

Sulpher Chrysalis
(04/25/2006) Do you recognize this chrysalis?
Charlene

Charlene,
The orneriness in us wants to just reply "yes" and leave it at that, but we do not have a representative image on the site and are happy to have your Sulphur Butterfly Chrysalis. Since you did not provide us with a location and since your image is cropped oddly, we are not sure of the species. If you are in the American Southwest, it is probably a Senna Sulphur, Phoebis sennae, that feeds on cassia.

Great new image & a friend
Yes, sorry. My husband noticed I had supplied NO info. I'll try and take a better picture. I am in Houston. And I do have a cassia in the backyard. Glad to know it is doing it's job. I considered taking the plant out because it is quite ugly. I tried to trim it and did a very poor job. I'll keep it around now. Thanks for the info. It was a rather ugly looking . How do such things turn into beauties??? By the way, I loved your sight and will be sure to pass it on to my friends!! This is really cool! I went outside to take a better picture of the chrysalis that I sent yesterday and some information on it and look what I found!! How strange that they crawled to the same place to "hang out" together!!!! Their host plant is across the yard. I live in Houston and would love an identification of these beauties. Thank you,
Charlene

Hi again Charlene,
We are certain you have a Senna Sulphur caterpillar and chrysalis. Wait for the gorgeous clear yellow butterflies to emerge and send a photo of them as well. They are strong fliers and difficult to approach.

Mystery Sphinx
(04/25/2006) caterpillar
Hello there! I have to start by saying what an impressive site you have! I am a fifth grade teacher in San Antonio Texas and my students happened to find this rather large caterpillar on their playground. They were very interested in it and want to keep it to see if it will grow into a butterfly or moth. We did some research on different caterpillars and compared them to what this one looks like. The closest match we could find was to the eyed hawk moth, but all references to the eyed hawk moth came from Europe. I found a moth that looks like the eyed hawk moth on your website called the Cerisy's moth and searched the internet for pics of a cerisy's caterpillar to no avail. We would really like to know what we have.... Our caterpillar is about 3 inches long and was found on the ground. He is lime green with diagonal white stripes and some pink dots (I think those are the spiracles) There are trees nearby and I think they are willow trees, but not positive. We put our little friend in an aquarium with a mesh top and some tree branches. It eats like crazy and seems to be happy with what we gave it. Can you identify him for us? We are hoping to see him turn into the moth before school gets out.
Sincerely,
Christie and her very interested fifth graders.

Hi Christie and Students,
This is definitely a Sphinx Moth Caterpillar. We recommend Bill Oehlke's awesome site, but it will take some major searching. We have seen this caterpillar before, but can't put our finger on a name just yet. Meanwhile we will post until it is identified. Thanks for your touching letter.

Mourning Cloak Chrysalis
(04/24/2006) chrysalis id
hi there I have 8 of these guys hanging off my porch. sorry the pictures are black and white if this is not enough I will take some more pictures in color. the caterpillar before it changed was black and spiky with a reddish dot on each segment and yellowish feet. the chrysalis is light brown.
thank you,
Heather in San Diego

Hi Heather,
We just posted a photo of the adult Mourning Cloak Butterfly, Nymphalis antiopa, today, so it is wonderful to have your Chrysalis photo to accompany it.

White Furcula: Metamorphosis of a Prominent Moth
(04/22/2006) furcula moth
Hi bugman,
Great site! Here are some before and after photos of a furcula moth. Have we identified it correctly?
Paige
Jacksonville, FL

Hi Paige,
We are thrilled to have your correctly identified images of the moth, cocoon and caterpillar of the White Furcula, Furcula borealis, one of the Prominent Moths. It is also called the Wild Cherry Furcula and it looks like your wonderful photos also show the host plant. Your images are Audubon quality. Can we be picky and request the egg images at a later date?

Monkey Slug Caterpillar
(04/21/2006)
Hi,
I found your web page while trying to identify a hummingbird clearwing moth that I took a picture of yesterday and decided you might can help me identify the attached picture. This bug was crawling on our car and we let it crawl onto the graph paper in order to take its picture. Do you know what this creature is? Thanks a lot for you help.
Julie and Jim

Hi Julie and Jim,
What an artful photograph of a Monkey Slug Caterpillar or Hag Moth Larva, Phobetron pithecium. This is a stinging caterpillar.

Mating Pipevine Swallowtails and Caterpillar
(04/21/2006) Mating Swallowtails
Dear Bugman,
Thought you might like this photo. Spring is definitely in the air - we have lots and lots of emerging Pipevine Swallowtails and they're wasting no time! Took the photo 2 days ago. I've also attached some photos of the caterpillars that I took last year. There were so many of these hungry guys (and gals) munching on the pipevine bush that we could actually hear them eating - it was really cool! I also discovered that if you frighten or annoy them, they extend some type of "antennae" from the back of their heads - fascinating and beautiful critters.
Ann Ranlett
Nature Illustrations & Pet Portraits

Hi Ann,
Your photographs are always so awesome. Both your mating butterflies and the caterpillars are Pipevine Swallowtails, Battus philenor. The caterpillar is displaying its osmeterium, a horned retractable organ that gives off a foul odor. Many swallowtail caterpillars have this defense mechanism.

Tent Caterpillar, Carpenter Bee and Emerald Moth
(04/21/2006) Hello Bugman!
We live in Southwestern Louisiana, in the "Prairie" region. A small, green moth was resting on the ceiling of our patio. It was no more than 3/4 of an inch in wingspan, and was resting there for several hours. We could not find an exact match in any of the moths sections, and were wondering what it may be. Also attached are some pretty photos of an Eastern Tent Caterpillar (I think), and a neat close-up of a Carpenter Bee. We love to look at your website, and have spent many hours together exploring it since we came across it. Thanks for your time, and thanks for a great site!
Melissa and Jody Glasscock
Lafayette, Louisiana


Eastern Tent Caterpillar	Emerald Moth

Hi Melissa and Jody,
Thanks for your photos of the Eastern Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma americanum and Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa species. Your moth is a species of Geometrid in the Subfamily Geometrinae, the Emeralds.

Unidentified Caterpillar
(04/20/2006) caterpillar found in slot canyon in central New Mexico
Hello,
Did this submission come through OK the other day? I ask because I see that the update I sent about the Hop Merchant later on is now on the Web site, but the photo of this caterpillar is not. Thank you very much! Ruth
This little guy was found in mid-February in San Lorenzo Canyon, located near the town of Lemitar in the Rio Grande Valley. It was found on the underside of a rock, and was about 1-1.5 inches long. The area overall is very dry although there is a small seeping spring about 100 yards from where we spotted it. There was little or no nearby vegetation so I do not know what it would eat. Its hair-sprouting blobs look something like those of the satin moth, but the pattern and coloration are very different. Someone on BugGuide suggested Harrisina, but this one is bigger and much hairier than that, and we saw no other caterpillars with it - not to mention there's a distinct lack of grapevines in its neighborhood. :-) Of course it might have recently arrived there by hitchhiking or falling from the top of the canyon, rather than being native to the vicinity. I checked out all the images of caterpillars on your terrific site but saw nothing that quite resembled him. In particular, his yellow bands with orange blobs sprouting dark hairs are pretty distinctive. Any ideas? Thank you very much!
Ruth

Sorry Ruth,
With the amount of mail we get, the time needed to do research and postings, and the fact that things like jobs interfere with our quality website time, we just cannot answer every letter. Additionally, we do not recognize this caterpillar. We will post it and see what happens.

Update (04/28/2006)
I have an ID on the caterpillar I submitted last week. Thanks to the folks at NMSU's Arthropod Museum, I now know that he is a Dysschema howardi, the largest tiger moth found in New Mexico.

Stinging Slug Caterpillar from Australia
(04/19/2006) Can you tell me what this is??
Hi there,
Found this caterpillar on our orange tree today. Do you know it? It certainly can sting!! We live in Queensland, Australia.
Many thanks,
Borris

Hi Borris,
We quickly located your Stinging Slug Caterpillar online. Two different scientific names are given: Calcarifera ordinata (Butler, 1886) and Doratiphora colligans. Orange was not listed as a host plant but mimosa, dogwood and rose is.

Oleander Sphinx: Caterpillar and Adult; and lovely caterpillar
(04/19/2006) What kind of caterpillas & mothsr?
Hello WTB,
I found this little guy (8 cm long) enjoying the shoots on my newly acquired Desert Rose (Adenium Obesum). I live about 20 km south of Pattaya, Thailand. Thought I would attempt to identify it before relocating it where it would not eat my beautiful shrubs! >From your site it looks like a Oleander Sphinx Hawkmoth. Can you experts please confirm. I then looked for the corresponding moth, and believe I saw one a few years ago in Pattaya when I was waiting at the local car wash. Photo attached. Can you also confirm please. This morning I found another caterpillar attacking my other Desert Rose but could not find anything similar on your site. Any ideas please? I also took a photo this morning of a very hairy looking moth by my back door. Again, any ideas what it is? Thanks and best wishes. You have a great site.
Chris

Hi Chris,
You have correctly identified both the caterpillar and adult of the Oleander Sphinx, Daphnis nerii. We believe your mystery caterpillar is one of the Milkweed Butterflies related to the Monarch. We are not sure what the Desert Rose is, but if it has a milky sap, that would support our guess.

Fig Sphinx: caterpillar and adult
(04/19/2006) Pachylia Scyses scyses?? Or Fig Sphinx?
I love your site as you must realize because I keep sending you things to identify. I found what looked like a ficus sphinx on your site, but the caterpillar is totally different from those shown for this moth. The caterpillar and the moth are shown in these two photos. The caterpillar ate ficus leaves. It began making a pupa shortly after I took photos of it and the moth that emerged is the one shown here. I live in Costa Rica.
Mary Thorman

Hi Mary,
You have a Ficus Sphinx, Pachylia ficus. The caterpillars have several different color variations. Thank you for sending in this awesome striped variation. To add to the confusion, there are subspecies and regional variations. Caterpillars are notoriously difficult to identify which is why the host plant is so helpful.

Gossamer Winged Butterfly Caterpillar
(04/17/2006) caterpillar
Wonder if you could identify this creepy?
Thanks,
John R. Austin, Pastor
Our Savior Lutheran Church
Granbury, TX

Hello Reverand,
This is a caterpillar from one of the Gossamer Winged Butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. It look remarkably similar to Henry's Elfin, Callophrys henrici, pictured on BugGuide.

Smeared Dagger Moth: Was Unidentified Willow Eating Caterpillar in Florida
(04/17/2006) Unidentified caterpillar
Hello. I'm so glad to have found your website, as my coworkers and I constantly come across critters while doing natural areas restoration work for the County here in South Florida. I recently came across this caterpillar feeding on willow in a freshwater wetland. Any ideas on its identity?
Jane Griffin Dozier
Environmental Resource Project Supervisor
Miami-Dade County Park & Recreation
Natural Areas Management
Miami, FL

Hi Jane,
We don't recognize your caterpillar. While we continue to research what it might be, we will post your photo and perhaps someone will recognize it.

Update (04/25/2006)
Hi there. I thought I'd give you an update on this caterpillar. Thanks to a Naturalist here with the Parks Department, it has been positively identified as a smeared dagger moth (Acronicta oblinita). Thanks.
Jane

White Lined Sphinx Caterpillar
(04/16/2006) From North Texas
Can you tell what this is? It was found east of Dallas TX. Thanks,
John

Hi John,
This is a White Lined Sphinx Caterpillar. There are several different color variations for the caterpillar, and this is a common one. Other caterpillars are almost entirely black. The adult moths are sometimes confused for hummingbirds.

Queen Caterpillar
(04/15/2006) Monarch Caterpillar?
I have a lot of monarch caterpillars with 4 "spikes", two front and back. I also have a few caterpillars with an extra set of spikes on the body. Are these monarchs too?
Thanks!
Bill in South Texas

Hi Bill,
The caterpillar in your photo is another member in the "Royal" Milkweed Butterfly genus that includes the Monarch. Your caterpillar belongs to the Queen, Danaus gilippus. There is one subspecies in Florida and the Mexican subspecies known as the Mexican Queen, Danaus gilippus strigosus, ignores the international border and strays north into Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Unlike the Monarch, the Queen does not migrate.

Io Moth Caterpillar
(04/14/2006) Name me
My daughter brought this creature home from school and loves it! She wants to know what it will turn into. She also wants to be sure she is feeding him the right food. Maybe you can help? We live in West Palm Beach, FL if that helps!
Vince

Hi Vince,
This is an Io Moth Caterpillar, Automeris io. It will eat a wide variety of leaves, including wild cherry, hackberry, willow, mesquite, redbud, currant, blackberry, and pear. The spines, if they penetrate the skin, will cause a painful irritation. The adult moths have eyespots on the lower wings and exhibit sexual dimorphism. The males are yellow and the females have brown upper wings. They are beautiful moths.

Tetrio Sphinx Caterpillar
(04/14/2006) What is this Caterpillar?
This picture was taken on the island of Eustatius in the Caribbean in February of this year. It was feeding on a plant with orange flowers. Any idea what it is.
Thanks.
Carl Anderson

Hi Carl,
This could well be the most gorgeous photo of a Tetrio Sphinx Caterpillar, Pseudosphinx tetrio, ever taken. Thank you for sending it in.

Luna Moth Cocoon
(04/10/2006) Cocoon in Maryland
Please see attached photos! I would like to find out what's inside the cocoon.
Thanks,
Jeff

Hi Jeff,
We believe this is a Luna Moth Cocoon, but it might be a Polyphemus Moth Cocoon. Both are Giant Silk Moths and form cocoon around leaves that dry and drop to the ground where they remain in the leaf litter until they hatch.

Slug Caterpillar and Writing Spider Stabilimentum
(04/08/2006) Bright Blue Bug!!!
Hello BugMan!!
I just came across your site was perusing google, and was blown away by these amazing photos. I have a photo of this incredible bug I saw in Indonesia and am wondering what the heck it is. I have so many pictures of amazing bugs, and also, one picture of this zigzag spider web which I have questions about. ZIGZAG spiderwebs...crazy, what advantage does it provide the spider to have a zigzag web?? I look forward to hearing from you, and please feel free to post for all of those bug lovers out there!!Also, just incase you're interested, I'm from Vancouver Island on the West Coast of Canada, and someone there has put a camera in a tree, and so right now it's capturing a LIVE feed of an Eagle sitting on 2 eggs which are expected to hatch at the end of the month!! Enjoy!!!
Stephanie Pickering

Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for resending with the images. Your Indonesian bug is a Slug Caterpillar in the Family Limacodidae. We have several interesting North American species including the Saddleback Caterpillar and the Stinging Rose Caterpillar. Those spines do contain an irritating chemical that stings. Your spider is some species of Argiope, probably a Silver Argiope, but your photo lacks necessary detail. The zigzag pattern is known as a Stabilimentum and is believed to be a type of camouflage for the spider. These spiders are sometimes called Writing Spiders.

Beautiful Australian Butterfly Chrysalis: Common Crow
(04/07/2006) What is this cocoon?
I discovered this casing this morning on a bougainvilliea plant in my garden. I'm in Sydney, Australia. No idea what it is, never seen anything as shiny as this before. I really didn't think it was real at first.
Caroline

Hi Caroline,
Offhand, we don't know what species of butterfly your beautiful Chrysalis will become. Perhaps we can find out with a bit of research.

I have been trying to find out about it, and think this is it! Turns out it is very common. Very strange then that anyone I've asked has never seen one before (of course we've seen the butterfly though). I THINK it's the Oleander Butterfly or Common Crow.

Oleander Caterpillar
(04/01/2006) caterpillar I.D.
The pics should be reversed because I see these guys going up the stucco to their "housing" after they've snacked. What are they? I'm in the central east coast of Florida. My Oleanders don't look so hot now....
Thanks in advance!!
Colleen

Hi Colleen,
You have Oleander Caterpillars, and they have formed Cocoons. The next phase of the metamorphosis is the emergance of the lovely Polka-Dot Wasp Moth, Syntomeida epilias. We have photos of the adult on our homepage now.

Tussock Moth Caterpillar
(03/30/2006) Whitemarked (Yellow) Tussock Moth Caterpillar
Hi There,
I didn't see this guy on your site. I came across it on a stinging caterpillar website. I'm glad I didn't know it could sting when it was on me! I was gentle with it though and had no irritation after photographing it and shooing it away. These pictures were taken along the Brandywine River in PA in Jun 2005.
Sarah

Hi Sarah,
We actually have many photos of White Marked Tussock Moth Caterpillars, Orgyia leucostigma, on our site. We suspect you never checked our five caterpillar pages.

Buck Moth Caterpillar
(03/29/2006) Unidentified caterpillar from West Palm Beach, Florida
Hello there,
I hope you can help me identify this caterpillar. I was hiking through a Florida scrub natural area in Boca Raton and came across hundreds (maybe thousands) of these guys tearing into the local scrub oak trees. They really liked the new growth! They were only found on the oaks - so they are very specific. They also sting! What are they?
Ann Mathews
Environmental Analyst
Palm Beach County
Dept. of Environmental Resources Management

Hi Ann,
This is a Buck Moth Caterpillar. Visually, it matches the New England Buck Moth Caterpillar, Hemileuca lucina, that we found on BugGuide. Oak is the food plant. The map we found does not list the range as far south as Florida. A related species, the Eastern Buck Moth, Hemileuca maia, is found in Florida, but the caterpillar looks different than your specimen. It also feeds on Oak. At any rate, we are sure of the genus and the fact that it is a Buck Moth.

Luna Moth Caterpillar ready to metamorphose
(03/29/2006) Luna
I thought you may want this picture. My sister found this Luna Moth caterpillar back in September. It was huge. It's the best picture of its kind that I've seen.
Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,
We agree your photo is stunning. The coloration has changed from green to reddish and this is a sign that pupation is imminent.

Polyphemus Moth Cocoon
(03/28/2006) help...
Your site is wonderful. We have just moved from Southern Calif to South Carolina and would like to learn the flora and fauna here in south. I photographed this cocoon and have been watching it closely but if I miss it I would sure like to know what I missed. Thanks,
Kathy

Hi Kathy,
If you happen to catch the metamorphosis, you will be in for quite a treat. This is a Polyphemus Moth Cocoon. We have images of the moths on our Giant Silkworm or Saturnid Moth page. Sometimes the cocoons are suspended from branches like your photo, and sometimes they are found in leaf litter on the ground.

Possibly Underwing Caterpillar
(03/28/2006) found when cleaning out old mulch
Found this guy amongst oak leaves, pine bark and acorns. He was slow, but alive and -- well, I guess you can't really say he was kicking.... Any ideas?
Kay
Valdosta, Georgia,USA

Hi Kay,
We haven't finished researching yet. We believe this might be one of the Underwing Moth Caterpillars in the genus Catocala. They feed on a variety of deciduous tree leaves. There is a close match on BugGuide and a second equally close match.

Western Tussock Moth Caterpillar
(03/27/2006) Unknown caterpillar?
Hi there!
We were watering the plants in the yard and came across three of these on our geranium and one on our rosebush. We live on the central coast in California and have never seen these in our yard. The closest match we could find is the White Marked Tussock Moth Caterpillar. Watcha' think?
Thanks,
Jon and Emily

Hi Jon and Emily,
A closely related species to the White Marked Tussock Moth is the Western Tussock Moth, Orgyia vetusta. That is your caterpillar.

Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar
(03/26/2006) Hello, hello...I am a little late sending this in. My eight-year-old found this in our desert 'yard' in Tucson, Arizona in October, so that's an eight-year-old thumb if it helps you size it. I've been meaning to look it up for five months now. I await your entemological wisdom.
Amy Gray

Hi Amy,
This is a Pipevine Swallowtail, Battus philenor, Caterpillar. The foodplant consists of both native and cultivated pipevine.

Whitemarked Tussock Moth Caterpillar
(03/25/2006) Help me PLEASE
Hi Bugman,
All I can say is WOW!!!!! What a WONDERFUL site. The BEST bug site
I've seen. Thank you.
I love to photograph all sorts of "Creepy Crawlers and Fliers" I live
in Chicago, Illinois. I'm also including a couple photo's of what I believe to be a White marked Tussock Moth caterpillar that I found in Minnesota that you might like for your site. Thanks again for having a GREAT site.
Glenn

Hi Glenn,
Your Whitemarked Tussock Moth Caterpillar photos are studio quality. They remind us of fashion photos.

Black Swallowtail Caterpillar and Chrysalis
(03/23/2006) images of swallotail caterpillars on parsley
Dear Bugman,
just wanted to share a few more images, hope you don't mind. all these are from last summer (2005). The swallotail caterpillars ravaged my curley parsley. (at one point i counted over 40 caterpillars of various sizes on this one little plant!!) after they were "full" some of them made cacoons on my purple fountain grass. anyway, hope you like the images!!
thanks for letting me share!
karen hackney
wilmington, NC

Hi Karen,
Thank you so much for providing our readers with wonderful photos of the Black Swallowtail Caterpillar and Chrysalis.

Mourning Cloak Caterpillar
(06/20/2006) Black caterpillar with barbed spines & red dots on its back
Dear BugMan,
Your site is FABUOLOS! I found this caterpillar in my backyard the other evening and took these pictures of it. I then proceeded to neglect my family because I spent a few hours browsing your site trying to identify it – I’m not a bug lover but I’m not a bug hater, either! Cool bugs are cool bugs and thank you for having so many bugs, cool & not so cool on your site! The closest I could find was the Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar. I do have a couple of Dutchmen’s Pipe vines so I was hopeful. Upon closer examination, it’s really only close, no cigar! The spines are barbed and I hope you can see from these pics that the spots are on the top of the body.. maybe I have a baby – still hopeful! The three caterpillars I’ve seen range in size from 1” to 1 1⁄2”. We live on Long Island, NY. I’ve seen 3 of these critters – never on any thing that they might eat – crawling across the patio, for example. Also not on or near my Dutchmen’s Pipe vines. The pictures I’m sending were taken of the caterpillar resting on a dead stick, also not near the Dutchmen’s pipe or near any other plants; the stick was on top of some rocks. Thank you for help with identifying this caterpillar and thank you for having such a fantastic website!
Patsy
L.I. NY

Hi Patsy,
This is a Mourning Cloak Caterpillar, which will become a beautiful dark butterfly with cream colored wing edges and blue spots. As the butterfly hibernates as an adult, it is often the first butterfly seen in the spring. The caterpillar feeds on the leaves of willow, elm and poplar.

Hi Karen,
Thank you so much for providing our readers with wonderful photos of the Black Swallowtail Caterpillar and Chrysalis.

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