Can anyone help ID a moth/caterpillar?

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organicbaby Mobile, AL(Zone 8b) May 18, 2007

Hello all! I'm new here and hoping someone can help me identify a pest that's been eating on my lemon tree. I have found quite a few very ugly caterpillars on the leaves. The very young ones look JUST LIKE bird poop...at first, that's what I thought it was. Then I found some that were a little larger and obviously a caterpillar. White and brown, sticky under side, red antenae things when provoked. I have been pushing them off the leaves and destroying them when I find them. Yesterday I found a large black moth (thin, almost waspish looking) w/ a red marking on it's back in the vicinity of the lemon tree. Is she the culprit? Anything I should know/do to keep this from happening again?

Any thought/suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) May 18, 2007

Generally once they go from caterpillar to a butterfly/moth they stop bothering your plants, so I wouldn't worry about the moth. Caterpillars generally the easiest thing is to just pick them off (or a strong jet of water from the hose if you're like me and don't want to touch them)

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organicbaby Mobile, AL(Zone 8b) May 18, 2007

Well, I went searching the bug ID forum (should have posted there but wasn't aware of it when I posted:-( ) Didn't see the creature but did pick up on bugguide.net. The caterpillar is papilio cresphontes--giant swallowtail! Gulp! Can't tell how many of those I've dispatched since originally discovering them. Feel terrible about the butterflies but my lemon tree was doomed.

No idea about the moth...will search later. Obviously two different things.

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