Caterpillars

Brown Hooded Owlet Moth Caterpillar [Cuculia convexipennis]. Schuylkill County, Pa. 7-31-22

American Painted Lady Butterfly caterpillar [Vanessa virginiensis]. South Central, Pa. 6-18-22

American Dagger Moth [Acronicta americana] caterpillar.Perry County,Pa.10-10-20

Hickory Tussock moth caterpillar [Lophocampa caryae].,on Witch Hazel.Dauphin County,Pa.10-15-20

Milkweed Tussock Moth [Euchaetes egle].Tioga County,Pa.9-15-20

Yellow-Necked Caterpillar [Datana ministra].Dauphin County,Pa.8-20-20.After photographing these moth caterpillars [above] I accidentally touched the limb they were on with my camera,they immediately curled up in a response to danger [below].Is it camouflage or defense or both?Fascinating behavior that I have never seen before,almost like were trying to imitate limbs.

Yellow-Necked Caterpillar [Datana ministra].Dauphin County,Pa.8-20-20

Monarch caterpillar [Danaus plexippus].Dauphin County,Pa.7-28-20

Giant Leopard Moth Caterpillar [Hypercompe scribonia].Dauphin County,Pa.10-1-19

Monarch butterfly caterpillar feeding on Milkweed [Danaus plexippus].Dauphin County,Pa.7-21-19

A real surprise, a Giant Leopard Moth [Hypercompe scribonia] caterpillar.Dauphin County,Pa.1-1-19.Temperature was 39 degrees

Red-Humped Oakworm [Symmerista canicosta].Dauphin County,Pa.9-20-18

Monarch caterpillar [Danaus plexippus] eating Common Milkweed [Asclepias syriaca].Dauphin County,Pa.8-23-18.Please notice how it is eating the stem of the leaf.

Two different Monarch Butterfly caterpillars [Danaus plexippus] eating Common Milkweed [Asclepias syriaca].Dauphin County,Pa.8-23-18

A lone Monarch caterpillar [Danaus plexippus] on a lone Common Milkweed plant [Asclepias syriaca].Dauphin County,Pa.8-18-18

Brown-Hooded Owlet Moth [Cucullia convexipennis].Dauphin County,Pa.8-4-18

Common Epithelia Moth caterpillar [Epithelia miserulata] on nodding ladies'-tresses [Spiranthes cernua].Schuylkill County,9-26-17

The beautiful Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar [Lophocampa caryae] feeding on oak [Querus],Dauphin County,9-18-17

Banded Tussock Moth [Halysidota tessellaris] & Pale Tussock Moth [Caliteara pudibunda] caterpillars.Dauphin County,8-25-17

One of the most beautiful caterpillars I have ever found.White-Blotched Heterocampa [Heterocampa umbrata].Dauphin County,8-19-17

Wild Polyphemus Moth caterpillars [Antheraea polyphemus].Dauphin County,8-19-17.Feeding on Oak [Querus]

Newly hatched Luna Moth eggs [Actias luna].Feeding on Pignut Hickory [Carya glabra],captive rearing.Schuylkill County,8-15-17

Newly hatched Imperial Moth caterpillar,with in the last day.Captive rearing.[Eacles imperialis].Schuylkill County,8-15-17.Feeding on Eastern White Pine [Pinus strobus]

Imperial Moth eggs [Eacles imperialis].Schuylkill County,8-13-17

American dagger Moth caterpillar [Acronicta americana].Dauphin County,8-6-17

Toad Flax Brocade [Calophasia lunula].Dauphin County,8-6-17

Saddled Prominent [Heterocampa guttivitta].Dauphin County,8-6-17

Polyphemus Moth caterpillar [Antheraea polyphemus].Dauphin County,8-13-17.Feeding on Oak leaf [Quercus]

Monarch Butterfly caterpillars [Danaus plexippus].Dauphin County,8-4-17.Eating Common Milkweed [Asclepias syriaca]

Tiny wild Luna moth caterpillars [Actias luna] and the eggs [already opened] they would have come out of.Dauphin County,8-4-17.Eating Black Tupelo "Blackgum" [Nyssa sylvatica],found by good friend Jesse Babonis

Giant Leopard Moth [Hypercompe scribonia].Dauphin county,10-4-16

Black Swallowtail [Papilio polyxenes].Schuylkill county,9-30-16

Yellow Bear [Spilosoma virginica],becomes a Virginian Tiger Moth.Eating a Common Milkweed leaf [Asclepias syriaca].Dauphin county,9-27-16

Yellow Bear [Spilosoma virginica],becomes a Virginian Tiger Moth.Coos County,N.H.,9-9-16

Great Tiger Moth [Arctia caja].Coos county N.H.,9-8-16

Yellow Bear [Spilosoma virginica],becomes a Virginian Tiger Moth.Schuylkill county,8-10-16

Angulosa prominent [Peridea angulosa].Dauphin county,7-11-11

Apple sphinx [Sphinx gordius].Coos county,N.H.,9-14-11.Notice the holes on the caterpillar,it has been parasitized by a parasitic wasp.The wasp lays its eggs in the caterpillar,the eggs hatch and the wasp larvae grow living off the caterpillar.The wasp larvae emerge from the caterpillar and spin a little white cocoon,attached to the caterpillar.From there the wasps hatch and their cycle is complete.Unfortunately the process is fatal for the caterpillar.

Spotted Tussock Moth [Lophocampa maculata].Coos county,N.H.,9-5-14

Milkweed Tussock Moth [Euchaetes egle].Schuylkill county,8-29-13

Smartweed Caterpillar [Smeared Dagger Moth] [Acronicta oblinita].Schuylkill county,10-9-14

White-Marked Tussock Moth [Orgyia leucostigma].Schuylkill county,6-15-13

Black Arches [Melanchra assimilis],on Blue flag Iris [Iris versicolor]seed pod.Coos county,N.H.,9-14-11

Unknown Caterpillar on Closed Gentian,"Bottle Gentian" [Gentiana andrewsii].Coos county,N.H., 9-2-15

Fawn Sphinx [Sphinx kalmiae].Coos county,N.H. 9-4-15

Green-Striped Mapleworm [Druocampa rubicunda],Becomes a Rosy Maple Moth.Dauphin county,7-18-09

Fingered Dagger Moth [Acronicta dactylina].Coos county,N.H. 9-9-15

Female Imperial Moth [Eacles imperialis],eggs,and caterpillars.An Injured Imperial Moth that I brought home and tried to help.I put her in a sleeve on a white pine [a host plant for the Imperial moth] ,she laid eggs every night for seven nights until she died.The eggs started to hatch after 16 days [there were around 20 altogether].The caterpillars went through many instars [sheddings or molts] of their exoskeleton,that's how they grow.With each instar there were fewer and fewer caterpillars until there was just one left and then that one too died.The whole experience was wonderful to watch.When I collected her I thought she might be dead,but to see her in her injured state continue to lay eggs before she died was amazing ,the urge to complete her life cycle was very strong. You can see in the pictures that in the forest she was trying to lay eggs and they were falling on the forest floor. Why the caterpillars died I do not know [a local expert in the field said it was most likely a disease ,a common occurrence],it was very hard to see them all die after all the the female went through ,but still I felt honored to watch the wonder of nature. 7-26-14

Polyphemus moth [Antheraea polyphemus].Dauphin county,7-8-10

Hickory horned devil [Citheronia regalis] [Regal moth].Dauphin county,8-25-14. Fawn Sphinx [Sphinx kalmiae].Schuylkill county,8-15-13

Drexel's Dantana [Datana drexelii],beside Orange fringed orchids [Orange fringed orchids can be seen in some of the pictures].Are they trying to mimic the orchids?Schuylkill county,7-29-11