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Photo#337308
Is this Alypia ridingsi? - Alypia ridingsii

Is this Alypia ridingsi? - Alypia ridingsii
Plum Canyon, Anza-Borrego State Park, San Diego County, California, USA
March 28, 2004
Habit of caterpillars, feeding on California Sun-cup (Camissonia californica) in a desert canyonette. [Note: The plant in left foreground is different...it's Chuparosa (Justicia californica).]

I believe this is Riding's Forester (Alypia ridingsi), as it matches fairly well with the caterpillar image here. Also, it's feeding on one of the hostplants mentioned here, where there is also a detailed description of the larvae...which agrees quite well with the specimen(s) in the photo (except for the repeated mention of patches of mauve-brown color at various spots, which I'm thinking may not be especially visible in the photos, or simply variable). I had photographed an adult A. ridingsi two days earlier in the same vicinity.

Of course, it cold be something entirely different --- I don't have much experience with caterpillars. Comments, corrections, or suggestions welcome & encouraged.

Images of this individual: tag all
Is this Alypia ridingsi? - Alypia ridingsii Is this Alypia ridingsi? - Alypia ridingsii Is this Alypia ridingsi? - Alypia ridingsii

Moved
Moved from Moths following email correspondence with Lynn Monroe, coauthor of "Butterflies and their Favorite Flowering Plants - Anza-Borrego Desert State Park & Environs"(1)..

 
Alypia ridingsi immature
The attractive black-and-white adult moths are fairly common in Plum Canyon is early Spring (late Feb into March).

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