Tag Archives: caterpillars

BugFest 2022 Caterpillarology Highlights

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The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.

~Rachel Carson

Our booth, Caterpillarology, was a tiny fraction of the hundreds of educational opportunities available at the museum’s annual BugFest event last weekend. This was the first time in a few years (that pandemic thing) that the museum has hosted a full scale BugFest and we were excited to participate once again. Staff and volunteers spent hours searching for, collecting, and then feeding over 50 species of local larvae to showcase at the event. Based on my cracking voice at the end of the day, I would say it was a huge success as we had a steady stream of visitors observing our caterpillars and asking questions for a solid seven hours. Though it doesn’t include all the species, here are photos of some of the stars of the show. Almost all have now been released back into the wild (we are raising a couple of species until they pupate to protect them from predation/parasitism and then will release that stage back into suitable habitat). Looking forward to next year’s event and what we may find.

Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) caterpillar. The large fake eye spots, its habit of creating folded leaf shelters to hide in, and the woodcock-like creeping motion (it often bobs its head as it crawls) make this common species a crowd favorite. Look for these on Spicebush and Sassafras. (click photos to enlarge)
A close relative to the larva above is this Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus). Favorite host plants include Tulip Poplar and Wild Cherry.
An early instar White Furcula (Furcula borealis). The long “tails” are actually the anal prolegs. When disturbed, the caterpillar shunts fluid into them, they greatly elongate, and are then whipped about as a defense.
Waved Sphinx (Ceratomia undulosa) on ash. Most sphinx moth larvae are adorned with a horn (hence the name hornworm) on their posterior. The exact function of the horn is not known, although it may serve as a visual predator deterrent. I have had many people tell me they think they can sting (but they can’t).
A Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) larva on Japanese Honeysuckle. This caterpillar turns into a day-flying bumblebee-mimic moth.
A Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe). I once had someone ask about the really tiny hummingbirds at their flowers…it turned out to be the adults of this caterpillar, another day-flying moth.
This Hog Sphinx (Darapsa myron) was captured by accident as I brought in some wild grape vine to feed another larval species. I snipped some vine from the yard, brought it in and Melissa spotted this little guy. Guess I need to look before I snip. This species varies in color from brown to green to yellow.
Pink-striped Oakworm (Anisota virginiensis) on Red Oak. These often occur in large clusters as female moths may lay several hundred eggs on one branch.
Lace-capped Moth larva (Oligocentria lignicolor). Like many of the prominent caterpillars, these larvae eat away a portion of the leaf and then rest their body along the chewed edge to camouflage themselves.
Another leaf edge larva, a Unicorn Caterpillar (Schizura unicornis) (see, unicorns ARE real).
A Clear Dagger Moth (Acronicta clarescens) caterpillar withdrawing its head capsule as a defensive posture.
Grapeleaf Skeletonizer (Harrisina americana). Touching this tiny larva may result in a skin rash on sensitive individuals.
Luna Moth larva (Actias luna) on hickory. In our area, Sweet Gum is usually the primary host plant, but we also found them on this tree and a Persimmon.
The largest Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus) caterpillar we have ever seen! They are often confused with Luna Moth larvae, but lack the prominent red dots and the lateral line of the latter. Oaks and River Birch are the primary hosts.
Another of the big caterpillars this year was this beautiful green Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larva. They come in a variety of colors from this leafy green to brown, red, and salmon. All are easily recognized by their long setae (hairs) and prominent white spiracles (breathing ports along the side).
The true star of the show, a Hickory Horned Devil (Citheronia regalis), was given to us by a friend in Southern Pines. North America’s largest caterpillar is always a delight to find, but, due to the usual timing of BugFest, is a tough one for us to get as they usually pupate by early September. This one stopped feeding and started turning blue-green in color the night before the event, indicating it was preparing to pupate. At the end of the day, we placed it in a tub of soil and it quickly buried itself to form a pupal chamber and shed its caterpillar skin one last time to turn into a pupa. It will spend the winter underground before emerging as a Royal Walnut Moth next summer.
These early instar Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia) caterpillars were raised in the museum’s Arthropod Zoo. They will grow to be almost as large as the Hickory Horned Devil before forming their cocoons.
This beautiful larva is a Saddleback Caterpillar (Acharia stimulea), one of the so-called “stinging” caterpillars. They possess spines that can inject small amounts of venom into anything they touch. The resulting sting feels much like a wasp sting.
This beauty is a Stinging Rose Caterpillar (Parasa indetermina) from the Sandhills. They also occur in orange or red and can be found on a variety of woody plants.
One of my favorite slug caterpillars, the Crowned Slug (Isa textula). David L. Wagner, in his wonderful field guide, Caterpillars of Eastern North America, sums up the bizarre slug caterpillars as being “more fantasy than reality”. As a group, the slug caterpillars often become the favorites of anyone that gets interested in caterpillars, and I admit to thinking they are the coolest of the Lepidopteran larvae.
This Yellow-shouldered Slug caterpillar has a tachinid fly egg on it (the white oval near the bottom of the larva). The fly larva hatches shortly after the egg is laid and burrows into the caterpillar, eating it from the inside and eventually killing the host.
The unusual shape is a diagnostic feature of the odd Skiff Moth (Prolimacodes badia) larva. Unlike most of the slug caterpillars, these do not have stinging spines, but can emit a foul-smelling liquid when disturbed. The white spots may be an adaptation to deceive tachinid flies from laying their eggs since female flies may not lay an egg on a caterpillar that is already infected with the parasitoid.
Black-waved Flannel Moth (Megalopyge crispata) larva on Persimmon. The dense hairs hide spiny warts which can inflict a painful sting. This species feeds on a variety of hardwood leaves.
Another Black-waved Flannel Moth showing the color variation in this species.
The Puss Caterpillar (aka Southern Flannel Moth, Megalopyge opercularis) is a species you definitely do not want to touch. The stinging spines beneath the dense hairs pack a powerful punch that can send worried victims to the ER due to the long-lasting pain. Most people never encounter this unusual caterpillar as it usually spends its entire life cycle from egg to pupa up in the branches of various hardwood trees.
A museum staffer collected this species, a Southern Tussock Moth (Dasychira meridonalis). I have never encountered this unusual caterpillar, which, to me, looks a bit like a spider-mimic.
We found this fuzzy American Dagger (Acronicta americana) at night using a UV flashlight. Many species glow under UV light, making them easier to locate, although this species can be readily spotted during the day due to its long white or yellow setae.
A harmless, but spiky, Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) caterpillar on Passion-vine.
This strange mystery caterpillar was found on a blackberry plant near Raleigh. A local entomologist tentatively identified it as a type of tiger moth larva, but we have not been able to pin it down as yet.
Another strange-looking larva, the Harris’ Three-spot (Harrisimemna trisignata). It mimics a bird-dropping and possibly a spider. It also has the unusual habit of retaining its shed head capsules on long setae. It supposedly uses these as a club to ward off small parasitoid flies and wasps.
Perhaps the most bizarrely shaped caterpillar we have is this Curve-lined Owlet (Phyprosopus callitrichoides). It feeds on greenbrier vines and the long extensions from its body look a lot like the tendrils on the vine.
A later instar of a Curve-lined Owlet showing how it is also a dead leaf mimic. It even vibrates slightly when disturbed, looking like a dried up leaf segment gently fluttering in the breeze.

Caterpillar Hunting

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From east of the East-est to west of the West-est we’ve searched the whole world just to bring you the best-est.

~Dr. Seuss

This past week, I helped Melissa prepare for the largest museum event of the year – BugFest. As always, we headed up the Caterpillarology booth showcasing the incredible variety of larvae we have in this area. She and a few other staff at the museum started looking on Tuesday and I joined the effort on Wednesday through Friday. We searched numerous wild locations and a couple of native plant nurseries and ended up with over 50 species. We didn’t collect everything we found for a variety of reasons and here are some of the critters that didn’t make it to the big show.

Walnut Caterpillars, Datana integerrima. We found these in a natural area in the Sandhills, but decided to leave them be since they are what we call “droppers”. The least bit of disturbance and they fall to the ground. as a defense. This is not a good characteristic for a species to have for a day-long public event with lots of human feet trampling all around.
This beautiful larva is (we think) a Pink Prominent, Hyparpax aurora, found on a Turkey Oak in the Sandhills. Since we don’t have a food source near us, we reluctantly left it in its home turf.
A Luna Moth (Actias luna) larva that has succumbed to a wasp parasitoid. The tiny white q-tip looking things are the cocoons of the wasp larvae that have emerged from the caterpillar’s body after feeding on it from the inside for a few weeks. This caterpillar is doomed, so we left it in the Sandhills. An amazing percentage of the larvae we find have been attacked by various parasitoid wasps and flies.
Purple-crested Slug, Adoneta spinuloides. The so-called slug caterpillars lack the normal legs and pro-legs of most other caterpillars and move slug-like across leaf surfaces. August and September are the best times to find the various slug caterpillars, but this one was so tiny (less than 1/2 inch) that we left it on its host plant.
We found these early instar caterpillars (not sure what species) on our night hunt at a nearby natural area (with permission from the manager). It was a cluster of newly hatched larvae so we decided to leave them alone.
It wasn’t until I looked at the photo on the computer that I saw the parasitoid wasp looking, no doubt, for a victim on which to lay her eggs.
Always excited to find a Saddleback larvae, Archaria stimulea. This one was on a Pawpaw in our yard over a week ago so I was hoping it would make it to BugFest. I checked on it twice and the second time it was missing, so I figured it had gone off to pupate (as so many of the ones we find do just before BugFest!!). But when I looked at the photo this weekend I saw the probable cause for its disappearance…
…yet another parasitoid wasp (or is it two?) laying eggs in the little guy. It amazes me any caterpillars make it to pupate given all the predators and parasitoids that are out there.

Look for the stars that did make to to BugFest in the next post.

BugFest Beauties

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Bugs are not going to inherit the earth. They own it now. So we might as well make peace with the landlord.

~Thomas Eisner

If it is September, it must be time for BugFest, the premier annual special event of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. In years past, it has ranked as the largest festival of its kind in the nation, a huge event about all things invertebrate, covering a couple of blocks of downtown Raleigh plus the entire museum facility. Last years’ event was totally online due to Covid, and this year had both an online and an in-person component. We participated in the Pollination Celebration last Saturday held at the museum’s field station in Raleigh, the Prairie Ridge Ecostation. The plan was to have it all outdoors with proper safety protocols, and to expect a much reduced turnout of visitors. Once again, I helped with the Caterpillarology booth, which I started oh-so-many years ago and is now run by Melissa and her staff. We figured we probably wouldn’t need as many caterpillars this year with fewer visitors and less table space, so we didn’t start collecting in earnest until a few days before. It turns out it has been a slow year for larvae and we were having trouble finding much in our early searches. Luckily, we all put in some extra hours the two days (and one productive night hunt with a UV flashlight) before the event and wrangled an adequate supply to engage a few hundred visitors that perused our luxurious larvae. Below are some of the highlights (we collected several more that pupated before their photo was taken)…

Our neighbor loaned us some of the many Monarch caterpillars that have found his milkweed garden in the woods (click photos to enlarge)
Always a favorite at the booth, an early instar Spicebush Swallowtail, showing off its bird poop and snake mimic characteristics
A last instar Spicebush Swallowtail is all decked out to fool would-be predators that it is actually a snake (gotta love those big fake eyes)
A Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillar with orange and black warning colors advertising its bad taste
A Hummingbird Clearwing Moth larva on Viburnum
Another sphinx moth caterpillar (so-called hornworms due to the tail spike), this Walnut Sphinx larva is the only species of caterpillar I know of that produces a sound. When disturbed, it thrashes violently and hisses by expelling air out its spiracles. I love the texture of this species.
An elegant Hog Sphinx feeding on wild grape
The subtle blue colors on this Waved Sphinx are beautiful.
Although sparse for other types of larvae, it was a good year for sphinx moth caterpillars. They can be tricky to identify, but we think this is a Rustic Sphinx. Unfortunately, this one was parasitized and succumbed right after the event.
A Great Ash Sphinx on ash.
The camouflage of the leaf edge group of feeders, like this Wavy-lined Heterocampa, is quite impressive.
We always hope to find some of the Giant Silk Moth larvae as they tend to be show-stoppers. Our Polyphemus Moth caterpillar was nice and plump for the event.
We found several green color phase Imperial Moth larvae this year, but a couple were too high in the trees to collect. This was the largest caterpillar in this years’ program.
One of the staff at Prairie Ridge showed me a Redbud tree with three of these American Dagger caterpillars.
One of the more bizarre-looking larvae, this Lappet Moth (I think it is a Large Tolype Moth caterpillar) has fleshly appendages along its sides (lappets) that allow it to blend in very nicely with a twig. During most of the day, it hung head down on the twig of this plant and was barely visible to most viewers.
This Smartweed Caterpillar (also called the Smeared Dagger) is one of the so-called stinging caterpillars. The tufts of spines have venom sacs that can produce a bee sting-like pain if touched.
The Definite Tussock can supposedly cause skin irritation in sensitive people, but I have never had any issues with any of the tussocks crawling on my hand. This species is distinguished from the more common White-marked Tussock by its yellow tufts and head capsule.
White-marked Tussock Moth larvae have a red head capsule. I think its common name should be the toothbrush caterpillar.
This is the caterpillar you should definitely NOT touch. The Puss Moth caterpillar packs a powerful “sting” from tufts of spines hidden below the hair-like covering. These are generalist feeders on many hardwood tree species and pupate on tree branches, so most people never see this species, which is probably a good thing.
The beautiful Nason’s Slug larva is another of the stinging caterpillars. I suspect it is a very mild sting due to its small size.
The strange-looking Monkey Slug has numerous appendages that can break off as it matures. This early instar resembles a very hairy spider.
Our most common stinging caterpillar, the Saddleback, is one of my favorites. I have been stung many times over the years as I accidentally brush up against one while weeding in the garden. They are generalist feeders on a variety of herbs and woody plants. The sting is like a bee sting but the pain tends to fade quickly (on me, at least)
The rear end of a Saddleback sports a pair of fake eyes.
One of the most beautiful caterpillars we find every September is the ornate Crowned Slug. These are tough to find (they feed on tree leaves) unless you use a UV flashlight at night.

It was another great year of sharing the wonders of caterpillars with enthusiastic visitors. One benefit of the half-day program this year was that all the caterpillars (and pupae) were released back to their collection sites by day’s end. The only remnant of the day is a cage full of Monarch chrysalids on our porch. When the butterflies emerge, we will send them off on their long journey to Mexico.

October Surprises

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The surprise is that you continue to be surprised.

~Jill A. Davis

I interrupt the truck camping travelogue posts to bring you some current yard sightings. We have been gone quite a bit the past couple of months so the “yard” has taken on more of a jungle look. On Friday, I started some long overlooked chores like washing all the windows and trimming back some of the plants in front of said windows so I can get to them. Our dining room window has a Beautyberry growing in front of it (I know, not ideal placement, but I like to watch the birds feeding on the berries), so I started trimming it to allow access for the long-handled window squeegee. After a few cuts, I saw something on one of the remaining stems – a Green Treefrog! It was clinging to the branch with that typical Buddha-like expression that this species pulls off so well. Though it is likely the same individual I saw in this part of the yard back in August, I can’t be sure as I photographed them from different sides so I can’t compare the location of the few gold flecks of color (I’m not even sure if these gold spots are a constant over time on an individual treefrog).

Green Treefrog clinging to a Beautyberry branch (click photos to enlarge)

It surprised me that this little guy was still clinging to the plant I had been cutting on and jerking around, but perhaps the cool temperatures has made it more accepting of my intrusions.

That peaceful treefrog pose

As I moved around the plant to photograph the frog, I found another surprise – a late season sphinx moth caterpillar. Over the past few years, we have found several Rustic Sphinx Moth larvae feeding on Beautyberry, so we routinely scan these shrubs for signs of caterpillars.

A Rustic Sphinx Moth larva on Beautyberry

I had noticed some of the Beautyberry leaves had been eaten when we first got back home from our road trip, but assumed the caterpillar had already moved off to pupate, since most larvae are scarce by mid-October. Like the treefrog, this caterpillar did not move while I was shaking its habitat. In fact, I kept a check on it from Friday (when I first saw it) until late Saturday afternoon. It didn’t move for that entire time and then late Saturday, it was gone. Not sure if a bird found it or if it had had enough of my yard work and just crawled off to find a suitable place to pupate.

Wondering what the purpose of all those bumps might be

One last Beautyberry surprise was under a leaf near the Rustic Sphinx – a small “inchworm” of some sort. Needless to say, I carefully looked over the branches I had trimmed to make sure I wasn’t displacing any other inhabitants (I didn’t see any). This is one of the reasons I usually leave the yard a bit untidy (okay, I guess that is a bit of an understatement) until March or so – you never know what is using those standing dead flower stems and branches as habitat.

An unidentified Geometrid moth larva on Beautyberry

I found another late caterpillar yesterday afternoon as I was mowing, a tussock moth larva. Wasn’t sure at first which species as it lacked the usual hair pencils (tufts of setae) on the front end. But, after looking at BugGuide, it must be a Banded Tussock Moth caterpillar. One of the experts on that site speculated that these larvae may lose the hair pencils as they near pupation.

Banded Tussock Moth larva (it is missing the anterior hair pencils)

It will be interesting to see how these and other yard invertebrates (like the few remaining orb weaver spiders) will survive the next few predicted cold nights. But no matter, it is getting to be that time of year where change is inevitable, but a few surprises may linger. And these are the only types of October surprises I am in the mood for right now.

Caterpillars and Such

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When summer gathers up her robes of glory, and, like a dream, glides away.

~Sarah Helen Whitman

Though the temperatures sure don’t seem like it, I’m seeing signs that Summer is coming to a close and Fall is just around the corner. The butterflies that so many thought had forsaken us this year are now everywhere and the hummingbirds are squabbling over the feeders and flowers in preparation for their departure in a few weeks. The house seems suddenly shrouded in orb webs and a yard tour quickly turns up a host of caterpillars. And though I feel sapped of all energy every time I try to do anything outside, nature (especially in the invertebrate world) seems to be in high gear as we get ready to turn the calendar page again. Here are a few of our tiny neighbors enjoying the jungle of native plants in our slightly sunny hole in the canopy.

Black Swallowtail larva on Golden Alexander (click photos to enlarge)
Variable Oak Leaf Caterpillar
Rose Hooktip Moth larva, the only Eastern caterpillar with a long unpaired “tail”. This one is on one of several Viburnums on our property
Melissa found this Purple-crested Slug larva on the underside of a Redbud leaf
Double-toothed Prominent on elm. The jagged dorsal surface mimics the serrated edge of an elm leaf
Grasshoppers and katydids are larger and more noticeable now. I think this one is a Short-winged Green Grasshopper, Dichromorpha viridis
This is probably a male Short-winged Green Grasshopper (males are generally two-toned, green and brown)
The splayed leg Clipped-wing Grasshopper, Metaleptea brevicornis
One of several skipper species frequenting the yard now, a Clouded Skipper, Lerema accius
Always one of my favorite yard finds, a Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar with its glorious fake eyes
After mowing yesterday, I walked the edges and noticed some rolled leaves on this legume (I think it may be a Naked-flowered Tick-trefoil, Hylodemum nudiforum)
I held up one of the rolled leaves and this little guy came out – a new species of caterpillar for me, a Long-tailed Skipper!

The highlight was definitely the last thing I found on my sweaty yard tour – several rolled leaves made by early stage caterpillars of a Long-tailed Skipper. I wrote about seeing one laying eggs in the yard last week and here are the fruits of her efforts. The abundance and variety of our mini-beast neighbors continues to fascinate and amaze us.

Growing Up

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Even though you’re growing up, you should never stop having fun.

~Nina Dobrev

A quick update on the Cecropia caterpillars we are raising…you may remember an earlier post where the eggs from a Cecropia Moth began hatching. That was on June 10. We are almost a month out and they are growing and changing as they feed on wild Black Cherry leaves. Below are pictures of how they have changed over the past few weeks. The remaining time period of their last two instars (a phase between two periods of molting) will be busy ones as we try to scrounge enough cherry leaves to keep these guys happy. If you enjoy learning about giant silk moth caterpillars and their different instars, check out Sam Jaffe’s incredible photographs on The Caterpillar Lab’s web site.

cecropia moth eggs hatched

The hatched eggs on June 10 (click photos to enlarge)

Cecropia moth larvae day 1

First instar Cecropia Moth caterpillars

Cecropia larvae second instar

Second instar larvae

IMG_8970

A third instar Cecropia Moth caterpillar

Cecropia fourth instar

Fourth instar larva (one more to go!)

fireworks larval style

A close up of the tubercles on a fourth instar larva…I shared this picture on July 4 as an entomological fireworks display

 

Another Caterpillar Season

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Look closely at nature. Every species is a masterpiece, exquisitely adapted to the particular environment in which it has survived. Who are we to destroy or even diminish biodiversity?

~E.O. Wilson

Yes, it is finally crawling to a close, another season of caterpillar searching, wrangling, and releasing. This one a bit less productive than some perhaps, but rewarding nonetheless. After a couple of caterpillar classes at the Museum and Botanical Garden, we ended with a bang at the Museum’s BugFest event last weekend. It was the usual phenomenal turnout with an estimated 25,000+ attendees. I am never sure how many folks we actually see at out caterpillar booth, but it was a steady stream of curious onlookers for a full 8 hours.

It was so busy this year, that I didn’t take the time to photograph some of our herd of larvae (around 50 different species). As usual, some of the best finds, like the Spun Glass Slug Moth caterpillar mentioned in an earlier post, pupated right before the big event.

spun glass slug close up head on

This strange beauty never made it to BugFest, preferring to pupate about a week before the big event (click photos to enlarge)

We start searching a week or so ahead of BugFest, and we always lose some of our herd  to the many hazards that caterpillars face –  a few larvae erupted with parasitoid wasps or flies, and some we discovered as they were being used as the larval lunch special of the day for some of the many predators out there. With as many hazards as they face, it is sometime amazing we find any caterpillars at all.

Stink bug eating snowberry clearwing larva

While searching for clearwing moth larvae on coral honeysuckle, I came across this scene – a Florida Predatory Stinkbug with its prey

But, butterflies and moths are prolific little critters, and enough survive to keep it all going. I enjoyed watching some egg-laying behavior of several species in the week leading up to our caterpillar classes, including a snowberry clearwing (aka bumblebee moth) laying her eggs on a honeysuckle vine. I collected one egg and photographed the tiny newly hatched larva five days later.

first instar snowerry clearwing

A newly hatched Snowberry Clearwing caterpillar

The show-stoppers this year were two Imperial Moth larvae, one brown in color, the other green. Melissa found both, the brown one when it was a second instar about two weeks before BugFest. She found the green giant the day before, and I wished I could share the looks on the faces of people as they walked along the tables and first laid eyes on that behemoth.

Imperial moth larva eating its shed skin

Imperial moth larva recycling its shed skin

The rest of the critters included a wide range of caterpillars found throughout our region. As I mentioned, I took only a few minutes to quickly photograph some of the larvae before the crowds started arriving and asking questions. Here are a few more of my favorites…

Smartweed caterpillar

The beautiful colors of a Smartweed Caterpillar

blinded sphinx

Early instar of a Blinded Sphinx (we think)

hog sphinx

A Hog Sphinx on wild grape

Though the Imperial Moth larva were crowd favorites, my choice for caterpillar of the day was the weird and wonderful Curve-lined Owlet. These bizarre-looking caterpillars feed on greenbrier and mimic the brown, curled edges of dying leaves (and perhaps the vine tendrils). They often gently wave back and forth, looking like a dead leaving moving in a breeze. When I pointed it out to people, most were stunned that it was a caterpillar, so their camouflage seems to be quite effective.

curved-line owlet

Curve-lined owlet, my choice for caterpillar of the day

The aftermath of all this larval love involves releasing the stars of the show onto their host plants from whence they came. A few that pupated will be housed in proper conditions until they emerge sometime next year, and then they will be released into favorable habitat with the hopes they will create more of their kind. Meanwhile, I may let the macro lens rest for a bit, and see if I can find something a little bigger to ponder while I wander.

Caterpillar Countdown

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Beauty can come in strange forms.

~James Dyson

I thought about not saying anything else in this post other than the quote above, because it really does sum up what we found one night this week. Yes, it is that time of year again when we caterpillar-lovers are out and about searching for something cool, something bizarre, something strange and beautiful. Melissa and I both have caterpillar programs today and then next weekend is the annual BugFest celebration at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, where, once again, we will host a caterpillar booth. So, bear with me as I will no doubt share a few lovely larva images over the next couple of weeks.

We often find our best specimens at night, either by regular flashlight or UV flashlight (many species glow in UV light). And so it was Thursday night…some fine specimens indeed…

Black-blotched Schizura

Black-blotched Schizura (click photos to enlarge)

The Schizura group are some of the leaf edge caterpillars – they chew out a section of leaf and then position their body within that section. The strange protuberances of the caterpillar’s body help disguise it by blending in with the jagged edges of the leaf blade.

Crowned slug

Crowned Slug

One of my favorites, the Crowned Slug, looks like an alien creature. They, like many of the slug caterpillars, are difficult to find because they tend to feed on the undersides of tree leaves (plus, they blend in). These are best located with a UV flashlight.

The highlight of the evening was a species that I have wanted to find for several years. Being a true caterpillar nerd, I have poured over my copy of Wagner’s field guide countless times since it first came out, and been amazed at some of the bizarre larvae that can be found in our area. There are several that were on my “larval bucket list” and it is always a thrill to find one. For this species, I have seen the tiny moth a few times at home and at work, so I knew they were around.

Spun glass slug moth 1, Isochaetes beutenmuelleri

The strange-looking Spun Glass Slug Moth

And this week, I finally found the exquisite larva (with the aid of a UV flashlight).

Spun Glass Slug

Spun Glass Slug

This is the last instar of this translucent little beauty. It was found underneath an oak leaf (various oaks and American beech are the host plants). It is one of the so-called stinging caterpillars (tufts of spines that can inject venom if touched). Apparently, when it gets ready to pupate, the numerous “arms” fall off.

Spun glass slug close up

A closer look

Of course, now I want to find some of the earlier instars. I guess it is good to have goals in your life…

Florence Cats

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If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine.

~Morris West

Florence has already had a huge impact on things here in the Piedmont, far away from her predicted point of landfall. While this is minor compared to what people in the more direct path of the storm will have to deal with over the next several days, many schedules in this area have been rearranged and many things canceled or postponed with the storm’s approach. One such cancellation was one of my favorite events of the year, BugFest, at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. As predictions of the stormy weather grew, it seemed less likely we would need to scour the fields and forests for caterpillars for our annual show of the diversity and beauty of the larvae of butterflies and moths of our region.

But some things are hard to give up. What does a caterpillar-lover do when all the preparations have been made for any wind and water headed our way? Why, you stroll through the yard looking for caterpillars, of course. So, below are a few species discovered this afternoon (and a couple from earlier in the week) while we wait for any impacts from Hurricane Florence.

Monarch larva, last instar

Monarch caterpillar (click photos to enlarge)

Black swalowtail larvae on rue

Two instars of Black Swallowtail larvae – notice how different this species looks in different stages. The larger instar is often mistaken for a monarch due to similar colors and patterns, but note the yellow dots inside the black stripes and the lack of black tentacles on either end compared to a monarch.

Florida fernth larva mo

Florida Fern Moth larva on, what else, a fern

White furcula side view

We love finding “Furkys”. Here is a White Furcula caterpillar on wild cherry

White furcula ventral view

White Furcula, ventral view

Double-lined prominent larva dorsal view

Double-lined Prominent on elm

_-2

A mystery Geometrid moth larva on spicebush…anyone know this one?

Fall webworm

The most common caterpillar in the yard right now, the Fall Webworm, found now on almost any plant

White flannel moth dorsal view

A treat to find a White Flannel Moth larva on redbud, as it has been a few years since I have seen one of these odd beauties..

White flannel moth side view

This clownish looking caterpillar is one of the so-called “stinging caterpillars”, with tufts of urticating spines that can cause a bee-sting-like pain should you touch it.

And a couple from earlier this week at work…

Datana sp. getting ready to molt

Datana sp. larvae just prior to a synchronous molt

Drab prominent larva

A Drab Prominent caterpillar looking anything but…

Stay safe if you are in the path of the storm, but remember to take a moment to enjoy the beauty and wonder that surrounds you.

 

 

Stripes

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These caterpillars come in brilliant green, pink and yellow, banded, and striped forms that often look nothing at all like each other.

~MOSI Outside blog post

If you are not a fan of bugs, then you may want to take a break from this blog for a bit because it is what is happening right now (oh, there may be something on bears or birds soon, but bugs rule this time of year). Yesterday at work I got an email and a voice mail from two staff about some cool caterpillars in our lower nursery. Comments ranged from do you know this guy, some sort of sphinx? to as big as a hot dog. Of course, I had to go see.

Banded sphinx larva reddish-green form

Banded sphinx moth (Eumorpha fasciatus) caterpillar (click photos to enlarge)

When I arrived, several staff were working in the nursery and pointed out the “hot dog” larva (it was about the size of my index finger). I recognized it as a banded sphinx. It was the characteristic shape of a sphinx moth larva, but lacked the true rear “horn” of most other hornworms. And the diagonal stripes are oriented in a different direction than those of most other sphinx species larvae (these slope from the abdomen upwards towards the head, whereas those in most species, like tobacco hornworms, go from the abdomen upwards toward the rear). But it soon became apparent that this beauty comes in many stripes…

Banded sphinx larva red form

A nearby banded sphinx with a different dress code

We found several more caterpillars, many with a more reddish color scheme.

Banded sphinx larva green form

And who is this guy?

Then, as I was walking out, I spotted another sphinx on the same host plant (Ludwigia sp.) but with a totally different pattern. I assumed it was a different species, but when I checked my field guide, I discovered that banded sphinx larvae come in two forms – a heavily striped one and a green one.

A close-up comparison of the three major color morphs of this species we found yesterday is shown above. Amazing variety for one species! And they are beautiful from every angle.

Banded sphinx larva reddish-green form dorsal view

Looking good from above…

Banded sphinx larva reddish-green form ventral view

…and below

Banded sphinx larva reddish-green form ventral view close up

You gotta love those “socks”

If you think these caterpillars are amazing, here is a look at the adult banded sphinx moth…

Banded sphinx moth

Adult banded sphinx moth

This moth was sitting at the front door of the Allen Education Center one morning earlier this summer. I took it out of harm’s way and snapped a couple of photos before releasing it. Perhaps some of those amazing caterpillars are descendants of this individual. Discovering several of these stunning caterpillars is one reason I find it so interesting working at the NC Botanical Garden. The diversity of native plant species makes for an incredible richness of fauna as well. Every day, a new discovery!