Subject: caterpillar in Tambopata rainforest, Peru
Geographic location of the bug: Tambopata reserve, Peru
Date: 06/24/2019
Time: 11:09 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: I found this colorful caterpillar in the tropical rain forest in Peru, in the Tambopata river area.
How you want your letter signed: Gerhard Hüdepohl
Dear Gerhard,
This caterpillar is gorgeous, but we have not been able to identify it. We believe it might be a Prominent Moth Caterpillar in the family Notodontidae, or a Lappet Moth Caterpillar in the family Lasiocampidae. Perhaps one of our readers will be able to assist with this identification.
Correction: Thanks to a comment from Cesar Crash and a link to this article, we now know this is a Morpho caterpillar, more specifically Morpho amathonte.
Dear Daniel and Cesar,
thank you very much!! This is excellent news that you were able to identify this caterpillar. I have seen the fabulous Morpho butterflies, but this is the first time to see the caterpillar.
Thanks again,
Gerhard
Nymphalidae, Morpho species: http://www.scielo.org.pe/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1727-99332017000200005
Wow, we were way off on that one. Thanks Cesar.
Morpho larvae are very tricky.