caterpillar
Hi, I’m Kayla from Flagstaff, Arizona. This morning my mom discovered these caterpillars, and we’re rather disturbed by them because we’ve picked up at least 560 of them, and still have more. I was wondering what kind of caterpillars these are, and how we could have gotten so many in a very short time. What should we do with all of them? Thanks.
Kayla
Hi Kayla,
These are White Lined Sphinx Caterpillars, Hyles lineata. Yours is the third letter in a week from Arizona that mentions huge numbers of these caterpillars. This is a common desert species and every few years there is a population explosion. These are edible caterpillars, but should you choose not to eat them, they will provide a sumptuous feast for birds and other insectivores.
How do i eradicate these caterpillars. My yard and home is getting covered by them and picking them up one at a time does not seem feasible.
We do not provide extermination advice.