Caterpillars of Syntomeida epilais Walker, 1854
Dear Daniel and Lisa Anne,
I think so far you have only one (not very beautiful) image of the Oleander caterpillar, the young of the Polkadot Wasp Moth, Syntomeida epilais Walker, 1854, so I thought you might possibly like some prettier shots. I found them in May of 2006, chewing on an Oleander bush at 1,000 feet, on the island of Nevis, Leeward Islands, West Indies. When he saw these caterpillars, my spouse was surprised and said that they looked sort of like a toothbrush! (A Halloween toothbrush maybe?)
Best to you,
Susan J. Hewitt
Hi Susan,
Your submission is so timely, since we just posted a letter with a photo of the adult Polka-Dot Wasp Moth.