CLOSED: Mystery caterpillar.please ID

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wannadanc Olympia, WA Sep 12, 2002

Eeeeeeeccckkkkkkkk!

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Sep 12, 2002

lol! I think he looks cute:) Have no idea what he is tho...

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poppysue Westbrook, ME(Zone 5a) Sep 12, 2002

What was it eating? Looks like it might be an immature larvae of the Giant swallowtail.

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Weezingreens Seward, AK(Zone 3b) Sep 12, 2002

What an interesting little fellow! The collar and painted-on eyes are really incredible... you didn't do that, did you, wannadanc?

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Floridian Lutz, FL(Zone 9b) Sep 13, 2002

Possibly a Two-tailed Swallowtail? http://www.npsc.nbs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/id/mor708.htm
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/wa/708.htm
or this looks even closer, the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail http://www.enature.com/fieldguide/showSpeciesGS.asp?curGroupID=2&curPageNum=10&recnum=BU0637

This message was edited Thursday, Sep 12th 8:06 PM

This message was edited Thursday, Sep 12th 8:10 PM

This message was edited Thursday, Sep 12th 8:11 PM

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wannadanc Olympia, WA Sep 13, 2002

Thank you so much - I vote for Two tailed swallowtail!!!

I need to get a good larvae book - could not believe I couldn't locate this one, and also knew I had "seen pictures" of it .......somewhere!!!!!

My neighbor found it - just hunkering along on the grass, I believe.....so no clue as to food source.

Those protuberances were going in and out of the head of the little guy - so strange to watch that going on!!! You could see moisture on them when you shifted it in the light.....boy, I need to go back to school to learn some things about caterpillar morphology.

Thank you again!!!!!!!

Vicki

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Floridian Lutz, FL(Zone 9b) Sep 13, 2002

Vickie, it says Caterpillar hosts: Leaves of ash (Fraxinus), hop tree (Ptelea), and chokecherry (Prunus).
If you have any of these to feed him you can probably keep him. He'll make a chrysalis then become a butterly. He's a pretty thing, that's for sure!

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wannadanc Olympia, WA Sep 13, 2002

On further inquiry, I learned the neighbors dog was rolling it along in the gravel .......... I encouraged them to put him/her out in the "woods" - away from the dog. Those protuberances are called "osmateria" - my new word for the day, and are the source of the acrid smell. That you, Floridian, for the wonderful links that added to my knowledge base!!!

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poppysue Westbrook, ME(Zone 5a) Sep 13, 2002

The dog probably liked the stinky smell - lol!!

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Joan Belfield, ND(Zone 4a) Sep 14, 2002

I think he's cute too. It's like he's raising his head screaming Mama! Mama! Mama! Get this dog away from me before he squishes me!!!

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wannadanc Olympia, WA Sep 14, 2002

LOL - Considering that this HUGE dog loves to roll in anything stinky, I can believe the Mama screams!!!!

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