Subject: Swallowtail?
Geographic location of the bug: North Central Washington (Brewster)
Date: 09/01/2017
Time: 12:17 AM EDT
We have found a caterpillar which is new to us! It was apparently in a hurry to pupate, as soon as we housed it, it went to work. I think Mom is having the most fun here! 🙂
We are in the north central (Brewster) part of Washington State. This is a darker bluish green caterpillar with white and black eye spots and white and black collar. It turned to brown very soon after we found and housed it.
How you want your letter signed: Elizabeth Brown
Dear Elizabeth,
We believe this is a Western Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar, but we would not rule out that it might be a related species like a Two Tailed Swallowtail Caterpillar.
I found one that looks similar today in Tacoma , WA
Today I found a Western Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar. It was crawling across a concrete patio in our residence in Santa Fe, NM.
It is quite ugly in its Pupa stage but photos I see of it in it’s adult state is is very attractive. I believe that I will release it from the small glass vial in which I captured it to prevent being killed by our two curious dogs. I wasn’t successful in getting a photo of it. It’s approximately 2 inches long rust colored body with a thin red,(apprx 1/64th inch wide, closest to the head and farthest from any feet or legs, next to a yellow band perhaps 3 times that width and then near a black band perhaps 1/16th inch wide. The body has several bublous bands with feet on the underside.
I find several references to these being from Mexico and Canada.
Really ugly