Hello I have a bug. I wanted help in identifying.
The caterpillar was found on my basil plant in early october, it grew to the size I’d estimate to 4, 1/2 cm. I live in Guam, an island in the Mariana.
We have a butterfly species called the mariana eight-spot butterfly and I thought it looked similar but I could not find any photos of its pupa which I thought may further back my suspicion. Here are the images below.
The last image is what a mariana eight spot caterpillar would look like photographed by umiji in flickr. The last image is not mine.
Dear Kana,
We are not familiar with this butterfly, but it is in the Brush Footed Butterfly family Nymphalidae, and the chrysalis photo you included appears to be in this family. Also, your image of the caterpillar looks very similar to the image you found online and included. According to The Center for Biological Diversity (https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/lawsuit-targets-wildlife-agency-for-failing-to-protect-habitat-for-23-endangered-micronesian-species-2021-07-19/), the Mariana Eight Spot is one of 23 species in Guam that have been named in a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. According to the July 20, 2021 press release: “Today’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of Guam, says federal wildlife officials have failed to designate any habitat for these imperiled species as required under the Endangered Species Act.”
