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Cloudless Sulphur - Hodges#4228 (Phoebis sennae)
Photo#239485
Copyright © 2008
rosinnola
Yellow Caterpillar Maybe? -
Phoebis sennae
Mandeville, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, USA
October 28, 2008
Images of this individual:
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Contributed by
rosinnola
on 12 November, 2008 - 12:56pm
Last updated 15 January, 2012 - 4:20pm
The plant is Senna (formerly Cassia)
the caterpillar is the yellow form of
Cloudless Sulphur
, I believe.
…
Hannah Nendick-Mason
, 12 November, 2008 - 4:31pm
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I have a different diagnosis.
I think the plant is
Cassia
or some similar ornamental legume, and the caterpillar is
Phoebus philea
. I think that because I had a cassia tree a few years ago here in New Orleans, took some pictures of a very similar caterpillar and reared it out as
P. philea
.
Here are my photos for comparison.
…
Mark Fox
, 23 November, 2008 - 4:16pm
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We agree on the plant
there is some confusion as to its name - when I worked with it in Florida is was widely (commonly) referred to as Cassia but sold under the botanical name
Senna bicapsularis
(which may actually not be botanically correct either - I think perhaps Senna pendula is the correct name, judging by comparing photos
here
at the USDA plants database). I believe Cassia is more accurately used to refer to a treelike plant in the pea family - the Sennas are much less woody.
Having raised both kinds of caterpillars, I am fairly confident going by the blue color of the spots that this is not orange-barred sulphur, on which the markings are much more black than blue. Compare below:
…
Hannah Nendick-Mason
, 24 November, 2008 - 9:08am
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THANK YOU!!
I think that is it!! Thanks!!
…
rosinnola
, 12 November, 2008 - 4:39pm
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Yes its a caterpillar, I beli
Yes its a caterpillar, I believe the plant it is on is Rattlebox, a species in Fabaceae. This might help ID it quicker. There is a "Rattlebox Moth" Utetheisa ornatrix, but it doesn't look right, unless this is an early instar.
…
Will Chatfield-Taylor
, 12 November, 2008 - 4:03pm
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Rattlebox?
I googled rattlebox and it doesn't seem to be the same plant/bush that the bug is on. It is more of a bush in someone's front yard that they planted then a vine growing wildly? Unless I interpreted the description wrong! Which is quite possible!
…
rosinnola
, 12 November, 2008 - 4:10pm
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Ooops, yeah, Maryland senna d
Ooops, yeah, Maryland senna didn't occur to me, sorry about that.
…
Will Chatfield-Taylor
, 12 November, 2008 - 6:07pm
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