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
Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events
TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Cucujiformia » Longhorn and Leaf Beetles (Chrysomeloidea) » Leaf Beetles (Chrysomelidae) » Skeletonizing Leaf Beetles and Flea Beetles (Galerucinae) » Galerucini » Section Coelomerites » Trirhabda » Trirhabda flavolimbata
Photo#262353
Green leaf beetle (Trirhabda flavolimbata) (?) in coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis) - Trirhabda flavolimbata
Copyright © 2009 John Callender

Green leaf beetle (Trirhabda flavolimbata) (?) in coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis) - Trirhabda flavolimbata
Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park, Santa Barbara County, California, USA
March 29, 2009
Size: 15 mm
A large number of these shiny, green caterpillars are currently inhabiting many of the coyote brush plants (Baccharis pilularis) at the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park in Carpinteria, CA. I'm curious if anyone can help me identify the caterpillars' species.

Update: I've changed the size to 15 mm; I went back this morning and looked at these larvae more carefully, and I don't think there are any that are bigger than that. I've also uploaded three more photos showing more detail (including the prolegs); see #262680, #262681, and #262682. Also, looking at the image of Trirhabda flavolimbata reminded me that several months ago I'd noticed a large number of beetles that looked exactly like that in these same coyote brush plants.

Images of this individual: tag all
Trirhabda flavolimbata? - Trirhabda flavolimbata Green larva on coyote brush (3 of 3) - Trirhabda flavolimbata Green larva on coyote brush (2 of 3) - Trirhabda flavolimbata Green larva on coyote brush (1 of 3) - Trirhabda flavolimbata Green leaf beetle (Trirhabda flavolimbata) (?) in coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis) - Trirhabda flavolimbata
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by John Callender on 1 April, 2009 - 12:35am
Last updated 11 July, 2011 - 11:33am

I'll get some better photos
I'll go back tomorrow and get some better photos, and more-accurate measurements ("2-3 cm" was a very rough guess, made after the fact, and could well be too high).

I had another person I'd asked for help with this suggest that these might be sawfly larvae, but he didn't suggest anything more specific than that.
… John Callender, 1 April, 2009 - 6:59pm login or register to post comments

 
Moved to species page.
I see no reason why your ID would be incorrect. Nice series of images!
… Eric R. Eaton, 29 April, 2009 - 12:24pm login or register to post comments

We were going to suggest
Trirhabda, but 3 cm would be way too big. Even 15mm would be a large specimen. But you can check out those beetle larvae and see what you think.
… john and jane balaban, 1 April, 2009 - 4:38pm login or register to post comments

 
Not an ID
Trirhabda was my first idea but they do appear "long" and maybe curled a bit, and I wonder if they may be something else. I'm not sure what though. I looked through Sawfly larvae just for fun, but came up empty handed (head may be wrong too?). Wish I could see prolegs better.
… John R. Maxwell, 1 April, 2009 - 4:58pm 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 © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact