CLOSED: CLOSED: Which caterpillers are going to be butterflies?/hornworm?

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august2003 Beaverton, OR Jun 08, 2010

I' would like to know how to tell the difference between caterpillars which will turn into butterflies and those which are just tomato hornworms or other problem caterpillars? Are the ones that turn into butterflies always hairy? I have seen tiny bright green baby caterpillars with no horns and they are on my bronze fennel plant. Really tiny! I am also concerned/want to know - wouldn't the product BT kill all kinds of caterpillars - not just the hornworms? I took care of the caterpillars without chemicals but I still want an answer to the question about using BT in the garden and about how to identify. Thanks so much for the info.

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Jun 08, 2010

If a caterpillar lacks prolegs on most of its abdominal segments, it will be that of a moth in the families Geometridae (all) or Noctuidae ( a few). However, I cannot think of any single character (color, hairs, spines, etc.) that invariably would identify any other given caterpillar as that of a moth vs. a butterfly; you just have to learn them. Also, the larvae of some sawflies (in the order Hymenoptera) can resemble caterpillars, but they will have prolegs on abdominal segments two through eight, whereas true caterpillars never have prolegs on the second abdominal segment.

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august2003 Beaverton, OR Jun 08, 2010

Suunto - thanks for your reply. It could be sawfly - I googled an image. I will learn the different caterpillars so I can protect the butterflies. I need to study up on the terminology. We have had a very wet spring and my garden is teeming with life - quite interesting!
Regarding my second question - do you have a comment about the use of BT in gardens?

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Jun 08, 2010

Sorry about my omission - BT can indeed affect other caterpillars, but it will only affect those that feed on leave that have been sprayed with it. BT reportedly has shown no affect to predatory insects, including beneficial species.

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august2003 Beaverton, OR Jun 08, 2010

www.discoverlife.org
This site has many IDnature guides. They have one for caterpillars of North America which is sooo easy to use - now I can ID caterpillars that I find in the garden. Beautiful photography too!!!

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