Subject: Caterpillar that ate my Satsuma
Location: Livingston, Louisiana
March 23, 2013 7:34 am
It has been a while since I took this picture (it took me a while to find the picture). Around this time last year, can’t remember the specific day, I found this caterpillar on my small Satsuma. I have never seen a caterpillar like this one in my life. So I took a picture of them so I could see what they were. I found them on your web site, the Giant Swallowtail, but what I am wanting to know is – Do they hang around this area much? I live in Livingston Louisiana. I have lived at this residence for 15 years and this was the first time I had seen them. The small Satsuma they ate was mostly thorns. The Satsuma had been in the back yard for two years before I saw the caterpillars. Are they in this area much? If so I will leave the tree for them to snack on. I did not get to see the Butterflies and the caterpillars were gone the next day. I would love to see them in my yard more often. How can I do to get them to come back? What really peaked my curiosi ty was when my son touched one of them it put out a nasty odor and these bright red feelers or antenna. What do I need to do to bring one indoors to watch it emerge from a cocoon?
Signature: Rebecca Lambert
Hi Rebecca,
This might be our favorite photo ever of Orange Dogs, the caterpillars of the Giant Swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes. We generally tell home gardeners that despite the caterpillars feeding on the leaves, the trees will survive and butterflies will follow, but we never get reports of so many Orange Dogs on a single tree. Perhaps there was no other nearby food source, and that is why so many eggs were laid in one place. Swallowtails deposit eggs singly, not in a cluster like some other insects. We also love that your photo shows so many individuals with the osmeterium exposed. The red horns, as you indicate, are a defense mechanism that acts as a visual deterrent as well as an olfactory one. You are within the natural range of the Giant Swallowtail, a native species that fed on common pricklyash and other native plants prior to the introduction of citrus. Cultivation of citrus has allowed a range expansion to occur and now Giant Swallowtails are common in southern California, a portion of the country that they are not native to. The coloration of the Orange Dog is thought to resemble droppings from a bird, which acts as an additional camouflage protection. You should be able to raise a caterpillar in an old aquarium with a screen top if you want to observe the eclosion. We would also suggest planting nectar plants including lantana and composites like echinacea if you want to attract additional adult Giant Swallowtail butterflies to your garden. Your letter indicates you took the photo last year, so we are guessing the 2007 date stamp is incorrect.
Here in Costa Rica we have caterpillars very similar to these as well, the only difference that I can see being that the “feelers” are more orangish here. I thought I’d add that the coloration seems to mimic two things at once. From afar, they look like bird droppings on a leaf. But up close the almost look like the head of a brown vine snake. When bothered, the bright red feelers mimic the forked tongue of a snake.
Hi Sigg,
The Giant Swallowtail ranges into Central America, so you might have the same species as this posting with some regional color variations, or perhaps it is a distinct subspecies.
They are on my orange tree also just like the photo above !! We are from South Georgia .
They are all over my satsuma tree right now! Southeast texas ! I came looking for info and found it! Thankyou
The butterflies are beautiful and losing some leaves will not harm a healthy tree.
Do the worms harm or eat the satsuma blossoms?
We can’t say for certain, but we suspect the Orange Dogs are mainly foliage eaters.
Thank you!
I live in south Alabama and I am having the same problem with my satsuma trees. These are the ugliest worms I ever seen. I have removed dozens from my trees. I never seen the butterfly only the worm and where he eat my tree leaves. Is there some way to stop them.
I’m in South Alabama and just found 3 on my Meyer Lemon tree! I had no idea what they were til I found your page! I was curious how bad they would hurt my tree, but it seems from reading about them, they will not. It was quite a site when the osmeterium was exposed! I will certainly give up a few leaves for the sight of a Giant Swallowtail! Great page!
I am in Houston Texas and found these on my lemon tree just this morning. Very interesting little things. They are still in a chrysalis (not sure of spelling or terminology here) stage and I am only finding 2 at the moment, will keep an eye out for more. anted to find out just how long they are in this stage so I can maybe film them coming out of it. I have to admit that the look of these at this stage is so wild, they look like a vicious little bug already.
We suspect that eclosion should occur in two to three weeks.
I just found these on my lemon tree this morning. They are in the chrysalis stage and brown and look like bird poop with a tiny little head. So far I am only seeing two but will keep looking daily for more. What is time on them emerging from the chrysalis? I would really like to film it. Also, I am trying to find out if these caterpillars sting? We have had some we had to learn to stay clear of and teach the babies too also.
They do not sting. We suspect eclosion should occur in two to three weeks.
Oh neat! The grandkids will love to see that happen.