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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae) » Crescents, Checkerspots, Anglewings, etc. (Nymphalinae) » Nymphalini » Commas, Question Mark (Polygonia) » Question Mark - Hodges#4420 (Polygonia interrogationis)
Photo#649866
Spiky caterpillar - Polygonia interrogationis
Copyright © 2012 Stephen Tapsak

Spiky caterpillar - Polygonia interrogationis
Columbia County, Pennsylvania, USA
Size: 2 1/2 in.
What is this spiky caterpillar? ID help wanted. It was crawling up a birch tree (I think.)
UPDATE: One pupated!
UPDATE: Two more pupated!
UPDATE: One eclosed!
UPDATE: All pupated!
Update: All eclosed.
UPDATE: I now have eight chrysalises.
UPDATE: One eclosed-it was a Question mark!

Images of this individual: tag all
Spiky caterpillar - Polygonia interrogationis Spiky caterpillar - Polygonia interrogationis Spiky caterpillar - Polygonia interrogationis Spiky caterpillar - Polygonia interrogationis Spiky caterpillar - Polygonia interrogationis Question Marks eclosing - Polygonia interrogationis Question Marks eclosing - Polygonia interrogationis
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Contributed by Stephen Tapsak on 31 May, 2012 - 11:42am
Last updated 4 August, 2012 - 10:49am

Moved
Moved from Butterflies (excluding skippers).
I moved it because nobody else had, and I'm pretty sure the ID is correct.
… Stephen Tapsak, 4 August, 2012 - 10:48am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… john and jane balaban, 12 June, 2012 - 9:46pm login or register to post comments

They all look like Polygonia interrogationis
Rather than Birch, they look to me like they are (?) on Elm (Ulmus), which is a favorite food plant for this butterfly.
… David J. Ferguson, 31 May, 2012 - 10:40pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks.
Thanks.
… Stephen Tapsak, 6 June, 2012 - 9:26am login or register to post comments

Polygonia interrogationis
I would lean toward Question mark (Polygonia interrogationis) because of the reduced spines on the head, the orange stripe on the side, and the orange coloration.
… LaciP, 31 May, 2012 - 3:44pm login or register to post comments

 
I have more
I found a few more that seem paler in color, maybe they are different. I will post a few pictures of them later.
… Stephen Tapsak, 31 May, 2012 - 7:07pm login or register to post comments

 
more
I have added new pictures. They were all found on a birch tree.
… Stephen Tapsak, 31 May, 2012 - 8:50pm login or register to post comments

 
It's common
to find a bunch of question mark cats in a small area due to the way the eggs are laid. It is a bit unusual that they're on birch, as elm and hackberry are the more common food plants.
… LaciP, 1 June, 2012 - 9:25am login or register to post comments

 
I think...
I now think that it was, indeed, an elm tree. I have been raising them, and hopefully I will be able to post some pictures of the chrysalises. I found about eight of them.
… Stephen Tapsak, 1 June, 2012 - 10:51am login or register to post comments

its
a questionmark or a comma
… Edna Woodward, 31 May, 2012 - 12:03pm login or register to post comments

 
.
.
… Stephen Tapsak, 31 May, 2012 - 12:19pm login or register to post comments

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