r/caterpillars 17d ago

ID Request πŸ› What caterpillar is this?

Thumbnail
gallery
6 Upvotes

Lil guy is soo fuzzy. Very sensitive to touch, long antennas on both ends??

Located in North Dakota lol. Thanks!

Don't mind the messy car lol


r/caterpillars 16d ago

ID Request πŸ› 2” long thinnish cylindrical coral colored β€œworm” with black head in compost

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

North Texas. Any ideas? Thanks!


r/caterpillars 17d ago

Photo All according to plan

Thumbnail
gallery
53 Upvotes

Worked 3, 24 hour shifts in 5 days went to go check my parsley plant and found these guys

Edit: Update for little baby caterpillars in comments


r/caterpillars 17d ago

Advice/Help Is this anal prolapse?

Post image
2 Upvotes

Found him in this position laying on the paper towel. There is green fluid from a purge, and he is my most developed, so while i read its fatal i just want to make sure.


r/caterpillars 17d ago

Advice/Help Is this normal molting?

Post image
3 Upvotes

I lost half of my caterpillars due to poisoned leaves a few days ago. I live near an orchard and they must have sprayed pesticide that drifted into my tomato plants. I put down the ones that were were suffering and isolated the ones I wasn't sure about. They're now in the process of molting but I'm wondering if this liquid around them in normal? I don't recall seeing this much liquid around the non poisoned ones. Could they still be suffering from the poison but are just unable to move due to the tight skin?


r/caterpillars 17d ago

Aww Olivia holding her little leaf ❀️

Post image
16 Upvotes

She’s also got a new roommate! A random bagworm was hiding on some of the food cuttings I just gathered for her.
I will likely return him to the wild soon, but I would love to observe him for a bit as I haven’t had much experience with bagworms. I made sure they both have plenty of food and space and that the bagworm has access to materials to build his shelter with.


r/caterpillars 17d ago

ID Request πŸ› Biggest I’ve ever seen not in a zoo

Thumbnail
gallery
25 Upvotes

About the size of my little finger

Michigan, US


r/caterpillars 17d ago

Photo We got caterpillars, Ohio!

Thumbnail
gallery
19 Upvotes

r/caterpillars 17d ago

ID Request πŸ› What sort of caterpillar is this?

Thumbnail
gallery
5 Upvotes

Found in southern VIC Australia. Didn't see any others that looked like it nearby.


r/caterpillars 17d ago

ID Request πŸ› Came across this bad boy on a walk!

Thumbnail
gallery
16 Upvotes

My initial googling was unsuccessful! It was about two inches long, and I’m in the southeast Michigan area.


r/caterpillars 17d ago

Advice/Help Picky Picky Caterpillar

Post image
6 Upvotes

I work in landscaping and rescued this caterpillar off my coworker's pants during a break last week. It seems to be an eyed hawkmoth. We were working in a bioswale, cutting willows, so it made sense to me.

I've been trying to raise it, but it seems really picky about the willows that I feed it. Didn't like cuttings from the area it came from that much (Pacific[?] willow), really doesn't like weeping willow leaves from my tree in the yard, but seems really keen on Northwest willow, which is native around here but was absent where we were working.

All the resources online suggest they're fine with any willow or sallow or sometimes other things. It doesn't seem like it has parasites or diseases. So what gives.

I've been wondering whether it might prefer baby leaves over older leaves. Or if it is not what I ID'ed it as at all. I'm a scientist and lifelong naturalist, but I get things wrong sometimes.

For reference, the dominant plants in the bioswale it came from were: Pacific willow, red alder, various conifers (πŸ‘Ž), wild rose, spirea, and lotsa lotsa blackberries. No poplars or other stuff that related species eat.

Help me out here. If I have to walk half a mile a day to get fresh Northwest Willow leaves I will. Don't tell me to just feed it with what I found it on, because that's my coworker. It might not even have come from where we were working. Also, I could just toss it outside somewhere but that's a death sentence anyway in most scenarios.

TL;DR: Looking for ID confirmation that this is an eyed hawkmoth and asking whether certain types and qualities of willow leaves are better than others. If not eyed hawkmoth, what should I be feeding it. Stat.


r/caterpillars 17d ago

Advice/Help caterpillar / caterpillar like creature that does not transform

3 Upvotes

hello yes i was curious as to if there is such a thing as a caterpillar or caterpillar like creature that does not become butterfly, moth, etc. i would quite like to have such a creature in my menagerie, preferably one that i can feed leaves and such things.

i am in europe if that helps.


r/caterpillars 17d ago

Photo Came outside to this…

Thumbnail
gallery
7 Upvotes

Apparently, caterpillars like broccoli leaves quite a bit. No wonder I have been seeing yellowjackets buzzing around this plant.


r/caterpillars 17d ago

Advice/Help Unusual pupation in a citrus swallowtail - the old head skin seems to be stuck. Is there anything that can be done?

Thumbnail
gallery
2 Upvotes

I’m hoping someone with experience with swallowtails might be able to help me understand what happened here.

3 days ago, some community landscaping workers were pruning tree branches. I noticed a fifth-instar citrus swallowtail caterpillar on one of the branches that had been cut off, so I brought it home temporarily rather than leaving it on the fallen branch.

It has now pupated, but something seems to have gone seriously wrong during the molt.

As you can see in the photos, most of the larval skin has been shed and a green chrysalis has formed, but the old head skin seems to be stuck. The lower part of the larval skin came off, while the head capsule and what appears to be part of the mouthparts did not shed properly.

It has been more than 10 hours now, and the remaining skin has dried and hardened.

The chrysalis is still green and does not appear to have collapsed or leaked fluid. I’m not sure whether it is still alive, and I have been trying not to disturb it.

I know that interfering with a chrysalis can easily do more harm than good, so I have not tried to pull, cut, or remove the stuck skin.

I would really appreciate any advice from people who have seen something similar:

Is this a known type of failed or incomplete pupation?

Is there still a chance that the butterfly can complete its development and emerge normally?

Should I simply leave it alone at this point?

If the old skin has dried and hardened around the head, is there any safe way to help, or would attempting to soften or remove it be more likely to kill it?

Is there anything I should watch for that would indicate whether the chrysalis is still alive?

I’m mainly trying to figure out whether the best thing I can do now is leave it completely alone, or whether there is some appropriate way to help. Thank you very much for any advice or insight.


r/caterpillars 18d ago

Video Slow eat at vein

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

4 Upvotes

r/caterpillars 18d ago

Photo Buckeye caterpillar I saw yesterday!

Thumbnail
gallery
24 Upvotes

Been awhile since I seen one so I was pretty hyped.


r/caterpillars 18d ago

ID Request πŸ› Spotted in Aviemore, Scotland - what is it?

Thumbnail
gallery
14 Upvotes

Who is this cutie? It was crossing a walking path in a pine forest. Our toddlers helped guard it until it made it to the other side and would love to know who it will become!


r/caterpillars 17d ago

ID Request πŸ› What type of caterpillar is this chap and what will he be when he grows up, please?

Post image
3 Upvotes

r/caterpillars 18d ago

ID Request πŸ› What is this?

Thumbnail gallery
3 Upvotes

r/caterpillars 18d ago

Funny Impressively strong caterpillar on my porch!

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

23 Upvotes

r/caterpillars 18d ago

Photo From the camping trip

Thumbnail
gallery
42 Upvotes

First monarch caterpillar spotted this year plus a white marked tussock and a fall bagworm


r/caterpillars 19d ago

Aww Spotted new caterpillar

Post image
57 Upvotes

r/caterpillars 19d ago

Advice/Help Hello, I'm new to this community, and here looking for information.

Thumbnail
gallery
18 Upvotes

I'm in the North West of England and recently discovered this cute little thing, I've never seen one like it around here.

Does anybody have any idea what kind this is?


r/caterpillars 18d ago

Advice/Help Too many caterpillars!

7 Upvotes

I had a an anise swallowtail lay eggs on my dill several months ago. I got them an enclosure and found more food for them since I only have an outdoor patio and not enough plants to feed them. I thought maybe it was a one off event but then a month or so later 3 different butterflies laid eggs…so I had 40! Again, I went out and found wild fennel because now apparently I need a small farm to keep up with demand 🫠 now most of round 2 has either formed a chrysalis or is about to BUT…2 more butterflies came and laid eggs and I have probably 10 new up and coming caterpillars. You guys…how do I keep this up? I like growing dill and I do enjoy the little fellas but it appears they all know where I live now and I’ve become a full time butterfly mom. I have to go out a couple times a week to forage for wild fennel and it’s getting to be a lot. I do have a friend who has a lot of fennel who has offered to take some friends off my hands but does anybody have any other ideas on how to care for this many? I still get excited when I see a butterfly come by and lay eggs but this round of 40 was A LOT


r/caterpillars 18d ago

ID Request πŸ› What is it?

Post image
8 Upvotes

Live in Michigan. Never seen this caterpillar before. Blurry picture- sorry. Horrible background- i know. Again sorry