We found this outside eating our purple knight. I'll let it stay there if its going to turn into a beautiful butterfly. Does anyone know? Thanks.
Is this a butterfly or a moth?
Pillita,
If you submit your photo here: http://bugguide.net/node/view/6/bgimage you will likely get an answer. I searched "alternanthera" & host plant" w/ no results, sorry.
Maggie
I did find this, but it doesn't look the same to me. could be a different instar. http://bugguide.net/node/view/253205 It uses alternanthera as a host.
I'd attribute this but searched so many files, I can't recall where I got the original pdf document.
Hayhurst's Scallopwing
Caterpillar hosts: Lambsquarters (Chenopodium) in the goosefoot family
(Chenopodiaceae), and occasionally chaff flower (Alternanthera) in the pigweed family
(Amaranthaceae).
Adult food: Nectar from marigold, knotweed, spearmint, wild marjoram, cucumber,
dogbane, white sweet clover, and white clover.
Maggie
It didn't have a head like that, but it is hard enough to identify one form. Instars get me totally confused. I had, coincidentally, checked out a new insect identification book from the library this last week. We tried to look up every bug we could find in the yard that day, but this one was a mystery. The leaf above the one where he was when we found him was eaten, but he had no more than that. We'd never seen him before.
They really need to come up with a book for butterflies done in the same format as bird identification books. That would make it so much easier. Thanks for looking it up.
Pilita,
One difference may be that in the one pic, with the visible black head, it actually has its head up & visible. when I've seen these guys in the past, they freq have their heads down and not visible, same w/ claspers @ back. Thus may or may not be the same. So, I agree w/ you.
Maggie- lost as ever.
Maggie