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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Pyralid and Crambid Snout Moths (Pyraloidea) » Pyralid Moths (Pyralidae) » Phycitinae
Photo#226715
black caterpillar
Copyright © 2008 Dan Leeder

black caterpillar
Camden County, New Jersey, USA
Size: 1/2 inch
This black caterpillar (?) sealed itself up in a leaf by folding it in half and sealing the edges.

Images of this individual: tag all
black caterpillar black caterpillar
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Contributed by Dan Leeder on 19 September, 2008 - 12:46pm
Last updated 2 August, 2012 - 4:05pm

Moved
Moved from Unidentified Leaf Rollers and Tiers.
… john and jane balaban, 2 August, 2012 - 4:05pm login or register to post comments

Phycitine
I'm pretty sure that this is a phycitine pyralid, *maybe* an Acrobasis; I believe it is normal for (healthy) larvae in this group to be this dark in color. If it is moved to Phycitinae, then maybe someone who knows that group will see it and either identify it or redirect it.
… Terry Harrison, 2 August, 2012 - 3:39pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Butterflies and Moths.
… john and jane balaban, 9 November, 2008 - 5:18pm login or register to post comments

Plant species?
Do you remember what kind of leaf this was? Oak maybe? That would help in narrowing this down. Certainly a moth larva of some kind; there are several families that similarly fold leaves.
… Charley Eiseman, 3 October, 2008 - 4:23pm login or register to post comments

 
...
Thanks for the response, I didn't think I'd ever get one! ;)

I wish I knew what kind of plant it was, it was a small weed, or possibly a very very young tree (at most a foot tall). The other picture in this set is the actual leaf it was found in, if that helps with plant ID; next time I will take pictures of the plant/tree too!
… Dan Leeder, 3 October, 2008 - 9:06pm login or register to post comments

 
black caterpillar
I was just reading up on caterpillar pathogens today, and I suspect that this larva is black because of a bacterial infection. Most leaf-rolling larvae are colorless or pale green; the only exception I know of is the redbud leaffolder, which has black stripes.
… Charley Eiseman, 9 November, 2008 - 7:11pm login or register to post comments

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