Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
BugGuide Gathering
Pack Forest
Washington State
July 10-12, 2009
Details...

Photos from the 2009 gathering
 
Photos from the 2008 gathering in Tennessee
 
Photos from the 2007 gathering in Minnesota

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Moths » Noctuoidea » Erebidae » Catocalinae
Photo#201520
Mystery Caterpillar
Copyright © 2008 Charlene Johnson

Mystery Caterpillar
Faribault, Rice County, Minnesota, USA
June 25, 2008
Size: 2-2.5"
I found this mystery caterpillar at my Southern MN nature center. It was munching on leaves. It is mottled broen/grey and is 2-2.5" in length. It has 3 grouped legs near front of the body and as you can see, appears to have sone at the rear too. Sparse hairs and little knobs on the body. Belly is a rosey color. A very camouflaged guy, blending in flatly with the branch. Can someone tell me what this is?Thanks!
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Charlene Johnson on 13 July, 2008 - 11:19pm
Last updated 10 October, 2008 - 8:35pm

Moved
Moved from Butterflies and Moths.
… john and jane balaban, 10 October, 2008 - 8:35pm login or register to post comments

Catocalinae?
I'm no expert, but all the caterpillars I've seen that look like this are in the Family Erebidae, Subfamily Catocaline, such as Catocala and Zale.

As for your description: the 3 front pairs of legs are the only real legs. The ones in the back are leg-like appendages called pseudopods. This is true of all caterpillars, though many have more pseudopods than this one has.

With any luck, someone who knows more than I do will be able to take the ID further- though I understand that many in this group are hard to tell apart.
… Chuck Entz, 13 July, 2008 - 11:44pm login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2009 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by Iowa State University Entomology.

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Site Map
Contact