Butterfly larvae found inside paprika

Gothenburg, Sweden(Zone 1)

I found this larvae inside an organic paprika that was from Spain but bought in Sweden. It had survived in the refrigerator for a couple of days before we were about to eat the paprika and noticed that someone else already had called dibs on it. ;)

It was about 2 cm long. As you can see in the picture it was green on its back and pale yellow underneath. It had light orange spots on the sides with a black dot inside every spot. The head was greenish brown. It sure looks like a butterfly larvae but what species?

Thumbnail by Quackamole Thumbnail by Quackamole Thumbnail by Quackamole Thumbnail by Quackamole Thumbnail by Quackamole
waukesha, WI(Zone 5a)

No clue...was it dead? I would think so but sometimes nature surprises us.

Gothenburg, Sweden(Zone 1)

Quote from meezersfive :
No clue...was it dead? I would think so but sometimes nature surprises us.


No, it was alive and busy eating.

Gothenburg, Sweden(Zone 1)

I am guessing that it is some kind of a moth since it was almost hairless. I think moth larva usually are kinda smooth.

Minot, ND

More likely a moth caterpillar; possibly in the superfamily Pyraloidea. I'll see if I can dig up something more definitive.

Gothenburg, Sweden(Zone 1)

Quote from Flapdoodle :
More likely a moth caterpillar; possibly in the superfamily Pyraloidea. I'll see if I can dig up something more definitive.


Thank you Flapdoodle, you’re amazing having an answer to all identification requests in this forum!

I will look around in that superfamily as well.

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