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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Moths » Noctuoidea » Tiger Moths (Arctiidae)
Photo#337556
Wooly and voracious - Fall Webworm???
Copyright © 2009 Anne Worner

Wooly and voracious - Fall Webworm???
Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas, USA
September 27, 2009
Size: appx 10mm
Found these munching on my salvia memorosa plant. Wondered what they were, as I've never seen them on this plant before. Butterfly larva, or moth?? There are two of what I presume are the same species - one woolier than the other.

Images of this individual: tag all
Wooly and voracious - Fall Webworm??? Wooly and voracious - A Fall Webworm? Wooly and voracious - A Fall Webworm? Wooly and voracious - Fall Webworm??? Wooly and voracious - Fall Webworm???
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Contributed by Anne Worner on 27 September, 2009 - 12:03pm
Last updated 5 November, 2009 - 7:47pm

Moved
Moved from Butterflies and Moths.
… john and jane balaban, 5 November, 2009 - 7:47pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… v belov, 11 October, 2009 - 6:54pm login or register to post comments

i dont think they are fall webworms
i think they are the virginian tiger moth, #8137 a beautiful white moth.
i found one which exhibits the green like your little one does. also fall webworms start right in building a web when they are very small. i mean from hatching they build sheets of web..i see no webbing here..
see this page...
another thing, fall webworms from hatching have a dark head,, i hatched some out this year, and raised them on a pear tree, while i also had some on a cherry tree..
… shotguneddie, 6 October, 2009 - 6:51pm login or register to post comments

maybe too early to tell
They haven't developed the orange and black tubercles that help ID the Fall Webworm from the other long-haired moth caterpillars. By now they should be larger and more colorful, and easier to ID. Can you take any more pictures?
… Abigail M. Parker, 30 September, 2009 - 10:34pm login or register to post comments

 
Wooly and voracious
I've just uploaded two more images - these were considerably larger. They are quite beautiful, but eat like the dickens!
… Anne Worner, 6 October, 2009 - 5:04pm login or register to post comments

 
Wooly and voracious, follow-up
Is it possible that this is the caterpillar stage of the Rounded Metalmark (Calephelis perditalis). I've just picked up a brochure showing butterflies and caterpillars. The image is very small, but reminds of this caterpillar.
In which case, I will take good care of these little guys :)

Update, thanks to Troy for a possible ID of Caterpillar - Spilosoma virginica.
… Anne Worner, 7 October, 2009 - 4:46pm login or register to post comments

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