Datana Ministra?

I have heard they can have a mid stage where they are red? And the yellow neck would certainly fit.

Just an idea, I am far from an expert, but worth looking into I suppose!

I do think it looks a lot like Datana Ministra. I can see a lot more yellow on the side shots and the darkening of the red stripes to black..

It really does look like a mid instar for the Yellow Necked.

I've considered the yellow neck. Some of the images of the Yellow necked look similar but I wasn't sure the color was quite right...there just seems to be so much variation in color shown on the images! The danger of insect ID from photos. ;-)

One picture I ran across looked very much like yours and others looked more yellow. That same site said that if you catch them right before they turn from red to black, they look a darker shade of red with more white than yellow.

So who knows? I think is definitely one for the experts!

Christina, Do you have ref to the site?

but not the original site I found it on with the info. But here's a the photo.

That photo:
Here


And the more red and yellow phase (scroll down to the photo of Ministra):


Here

to return to for more images as they change.

Well if you want more of the Datana, I have other pictures on my flickr stream so just let me know which ones you would like and I will send them. I have some good defensive behavior shots and some cool shots of a bunch of these guys chowing down on a leaf.

Just click add image at the bottom of your original post. I don't think most people like traveling out of bugguide for images, so they encourage you to post more here.

The updated image at the top of this thread shows a defensive posture and I added an image of these guys indulging in a group feed. Enjoy!

I will be looking forward to the "final answer" so to speak when an expert comes along to ID this for us!

Also am trying to rear some out, whether I will succeed is another matter.

If this is Datana Ministra it's is already darkening so I assume it's almost the last instar and probably won't get much bigger.

I say if because I truly am just starting to ID bugs and am far from an expert. I can just say that of all the photos I have seen I lean more and more toward this being Ministra. Did you see the photos I linked you to earlier in the posts?

I really can't wait to see how they turn out if you can rear them, or an expert to come by and ID this.

Very neat to look to follow for sure though!

I have just posted some of Datana in my special Sonic Drive in Route 44 rearing chamber (AKA caterpillar Gitmo.) Today some of them are not indeed black with pale yellow stripes. The ones outdoors are still the reddish phase, but it has been really wet and cool the last couple of days.

Not a great shot but it does show the color change. Also it seems like the hairs are much longer now on these guys.

Hopefully I can rear at least one of them out.

I posted this more for amusement. Reduviids, I assume Arilus, doing what they do best. The head of the larva is just visible by the male's head.

Those things creep me out. I know that's awful as they can be a beneficial bug, but...

Well a friend suggested Datana and I thought I would see what you came up with independently. At first I was thinking sawfly larvae until I reviewed how to tell lep larvae from sawfly larvae. Yup mine are red and I have been all over looking. I went back out earlier tonight to verify that. The are really uniform in size and presumably age so maybe they will darken up tomorrow. I may try rearing one out to see what I get.

Thanks!

Paul