Sunday, June 13, 2010

Who Am I?

We're pretty familiar with our butterfly caterpillars in My Florida Backyard. We know what plants to expect them on, and what the more common ones look like. If we come across one about which we're unsure, we can always look it up in our favorite caterpillar ID book: Florida Butterfly Caterpillars and Their Host Plants. This book not only has great pictures of caterpillars, but it lists host plants and the butterfly caterpillars who use them.

Moth caterpillars, on the other hand, pose more of a problem. Many moths host on a variety of plants, so it can be difficult to narrow down based on the plant where you find them. There are a huge variety of moths, and most are only active at night, so it's rare to actually see them ovipositing, which is another easy way to ID them. So, these caterpillars are a mystery to us right now:


We discovered these caterpillars eating some pink Swamp Milkweed (Aesclepias incarnata 'Cinderella') we've been trying to start from seed. We've been picking off all the monarch cats and transferring them to tropical milkweed (Aesclepias curassavica) to give the incarnata a chance to get started. That's when we found these fellows.


A little while later, we found some eating some bean leaves too. What the heck kind of caterpillar eats beans and milkweed? We have no idea, but one of the easiest ways to find out can be to raise them in captivity and see what they turn into. So that's what we're doing. We've brought a few in and are raising them in a rearing tank, to see what might happen. They're really interesting little creatures. They feel soft and almost velvety and in bright light, you can see a red and white stripe down the side of their reddish-brown bodies.


So, if you happen to know what these little guys are, please let us know. Otherwise, we'll just keep feeding them and see where their life cycle takes them!

13 comments:

  1. I don't have a clue. I looked in my book of FL butterflies and moths and didn't find it. It will be interesting to see what these are. I'm sure someone will be able to tell you.

    FlowerLady

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  2. I don't have any answers either, but I can't wait to see what you get!

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  3. Something in the Subfamily Noctuinae: Cutworm or Dart Moths perhaps?

    They have really crytic coloring and tend to be brown with stripes. Hard to identify the species though.

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  4. Oh yeah, Cutworms tend to be generalists and can eat pretty much anything from normally toxic plants to garden vegetables.

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  5. I don't recognize your little caterpillar, but he does look like the two I found on my moss rose inside the screen enclosure. Every year I get these brown little guys inside the screen????

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  6. I just found one today eating a Ti plant that I chopped down. He puked at me when I tried to put him in my caterpillar pen. Never seen anything like him before and I can't identify him either. Did you ever find out what it was?

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  7. We found one of these in our carrot and cucumber pot. We haven't a clue what it is either, but we live in the SouthWest Florida area. It was a surprise to find just one, considering we grew our plants from seed (All of them).

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  8. We found one in our Lani eating an unknown plant that we pulled out of our lemon tree. Can't find any info on this guy

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  9. haha looks like we are all finding them eating our precious plants. found one chewing on my onion plants.

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  10. Anybody figure it out?! I just found two of these soft little guys! We raise Bella Moths who eat Crotalaria, we also have bourgainvillea so they must be eating one or both of these, unless they were just eating grass. Im also in South Florida, PBC.

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  11. I was looking for an answer also, the closest I can figure is possibly a Tersa Sphinx (brown morph)?

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  12. Hi I have never been to this site before but I am desperate and looking for help. My son found a cluster of eggs on the back door of the restaurant he works at, he said there was a big yellow moth hanging around them for 2 days then left. He brought them home to me because I raise butterflies and he was worried because they were not on a plant . I cannot find them anywhere online and they've hatched and I dont know what to feed them. They are black with orange heads and tummies. They have 4 long lashes at the base of their heads and 2 at the back but the whole body is covered with smaller spines. I have pictures but I don't know how to post them. Ive put a few different leaves in with them. I'm scared to set them out because one: its raining and two: TONS of lizards, caterpillars don't survive long in my yard. If I don't figure it out, I'll have to let them go tomorrow so they'll have a chance. Thanks so much

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  13. Just found one in the house, put him outside. Please if you know some information about it would love to know.😁

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