Weird bug moulting
Location: Southeast Brazil
October 21, 2011 6:09 pm
I’ll be happy if anyone can tell me from which order does this bug belongs, I’ve found it during a nocturnal outing in a brazilian rainforest, seems to me like the emerging bug is a katydid nymph but the old skin looks like a lepidoptera!
Signature: João P. Burini
Unknown Insect Metamorphosis
Dear João,
We apologize for the lengthy delay, but we just remembered seeing your submission previously and we didn’t have time to respond. Then your email got buried in our unanswered email pile. We haven’t a clue what this creature might be, but we will post it in the hopes that one of our readers can supply some information.
Unknown Insect undergoes metamorphosis
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Location: Brazil
Sometimes the skin of the caterpillar stays on the crysalis.
I reacon this is the pupae of either the:
Variegated fritillary
Or the
Mexican fritillary
Just with the skin of the caterpillar covering the pupae
Thanks for the input. We will categorize this posting as Brush Footed Butterfly Caterpillars and Pupae.
Sometimes the skin of the caterpillar stays on the crysalis.
I reacon this is the pupae of either the:
Variegated fritillary
Or the
Mexican fritillary
Just with the skin of the caterpillar covering the pupae
This is definitely no Lepidopteran. You can see the face of the emerging insect in the second image. No Lepidopteran head I know of looks even remotely like that, and the creature doesn’t even have scales! Also notice the short, thick antennae. No butterfly has antennae like that. I have no idea what this is, but it appears that it is, in fact, not emerging from a pupa, but rather a nymphal skin. Although the husk appears to have much shorter, more larval legs than what is emerging, the legs on the exuvia are free, as opposed to nearly all pupae which have their legs tucked against the body. The attachment method (sticking to the surface using the abdomen) confuses me.