What’s That Bug?
September 8, 2009
in the back yard under a ovacado tree
not sure
from jalisco mexico
Dear not sure,
This is a Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillar “in the ‘ Pyrrhosticta ‘ group of Papilio swallowtails — P. cleotas ,P. garamas ,P. victorinus , etc.” as previously identified on our site by Keith Wolfe. The red horns are a defense organ known as the osmetrium that releases an odor some predators find offensive.
OMG So cute! He looks like a cartoon snake!