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) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Swallowtails, Parnassians (Papilionidae) » Papilioninae » Fluted Swallowtails (Papilionini) » Papilio » Black Swallowtail - Hodges#4159 (Papilio polyxenes) » Desert Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes coloro)
Photo#376181
Small caterpillar on Turpentine Broom - Papilio polyxenes
Copyright © 2010 John Wall

Small caterpillar on Turpentine Broom - Papilio polyxenes
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, San Diego County, California, USA
March 7, 2010
Doesn't appear to be in my Peterson Guide to caterpillars. I can't confirm that the caterpillar was feeding on this plant since it was torpid (during a chilly rain), but it was on Mormon Tea (Ephedra californica).
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by John Wall on 11 March, 2010 - 2:25pm
Last updated 26 September, 2010 - 10:47am

Excellent!
I couldn't believe this guy was so hard to get ID'd. I guess it would have helped to properly identify the plant. I'd never even heard of turpentine broom. I checked it out, though, and you are absolutely correct. The flowers are a match for turpentine broom.
… John Wall, 26 September, 2010 - 10:45am login or register to post comments

That's not Mormon Tea
It's probably Thamnosma montana (Turpentine Broom), which resembles Mormon Tea quite a lot (and which this subspecies usually feeds on).

Moved from Butterflies (excluding skippers).
… David J. Ferguson, 25 September, 2010 - 10:17pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Butterflies and Moths.
… john and jane balaban, 20 March, 2010 - 2:04pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Moved for expert attention.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 15 March, 2010 - 11:45am login or register to post comments

Something in Papilio, maybe?
Resembles this one:



These caterpillars can be confusing, though, so let's see what others think.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 11 March, 2010 - 3:50pm 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