Unidentified Yellow Caterpillar - Dasylophia anguina

Bill

Please contact us by email (see our contributor page here) regarding permission to display on Plates at Moth Photographers Group photographs of moths and larvae that you have posted here at BugGuide. Thanks, J&J.

… john and jane balaban, 19 September, 2011 - 7:15pm

Sure You Can

John and Jane, I tired to pm you, but it keeps telling me that your email is not valid and won't send. Hopefully you check this. You most certainly can use my photo for your purposes. Thanks for asking.

Bill

… knapperbill, 20 September, 2011 - 2:46pm

You would have to adjust the text listed

until it looks like an email address with @ instead of AT, etc. Please try again so we can see if we can communicate offsite. And where are all those new images, Bill? We keep waiting to see what's happening out there in western Illinois and you're keeping us in suspense!

… john and jane balaban, 20 September, 2011 - 3:40pm

Okay

I'm convinced this is an early instar of Dasylophia anguina. While I haven't seen any specimens as yellow as this one, the black "shoulder" spot, shiny black "button" on A8, raised rear end, elongated anal prolegs and other features scream "black-spotted prominent." Ignore the coloration and just compare physical features on these guys:

And here's the green form, though still not as yellow as yours:

Wagner lists sweet clover as a foodplant. Hope this helps, even with the year-long delay!

… Craig Biegler, 16 July, 2006 - 10:57pm

Nice catch!

We were nowhere on this one, yet it's certainly a good match for the second image you posted.

… john and jane balaban, 16 July, 2006 - 11:59pm

Caterpillar

It looks a lot like a Hyles lineata, but is too yellow. However, it is in the process of molting or has just molted to a larger skin as evidenced by the old head capsule/shell next to the real head.

… Colin L. Miller, 3 August, 2005 - 1:12pm

Plant ID

Can you identify the plant species? That often helps. Are we looking at seeds forming on a sweetclover?

… john and jane balaban, 24 July, 2005 - 2:48pm

Sweet Clover

Yes, this plant is sweet clover. I should have put that in when I posted. Thanks.

… knapperbill, 24 July, 2005 - 2:52pm