r/caterpillars

Who is this buddy? Is he a buddy?

SO NEAT-O!

Lmk if there’s a host plant, or if they’re cool w me putting them outside wherever. I don’t even know if it’s a caterpillar.

This thing was crawling in between my trench for straight 45 seconds 😭🙏

AM I SAFE?

Decided to stop by a pet store and saw this Goliath sleeping in her own poop. I also found a pupa in a container full of dead caterpillars. I immediately brought them both home. Gave the big one (named Tangerine) some fresh food and soil to bury herself. I wouldn't be surprised if she went down tonight as she's the biggest ive seen.

The pupa is alive but very dehydrated. I put her in moist soil and misted her heavily. Fingers crossed she'll emerge with good wings.

I’ve had this two-tailed swallowtail caterpillar since October. He made his cocoon in October and overwintered. He still hasn’t emerged and it’s already May. He also doesn’t move when I touch him. First picture was when he first pupated. Second is what he looks like now. I live in New Mexico so it gets very hot and very cold. I have him outside in a container under a tree. His color has changed a lot but he is firm and not squishy.

Cheese has gone down under today (godspeed my boy). I wanted to share some cute moments of him growing up.

These 3 caterpillars as you can see from the photo are tiny (i assume they are L1).

The caterpillars of this species rely on members of the genus Prunus (Almonds, Peaches, etc) to eat. I found one on my peach tree and the other 2 on an almond tree, and i plan on using almond leaves to feed them since i have many almond trees on my neighborhood.

During the first days they were doing great, resting on their leaves and eating from time to time. But now they have started wandering around.

I assumed that they needed new leaves but they have ignored completely the new branches i have given them and they are now either hanging out in the paper towel at the bottom of the enclosure, or at the lid.

What is going on??? Are they looking for peach leaves??? Are they about to molt??? Are they sick???
Do they require leaves from the exact same plant they were born???

Hey everyone. I think one of my hornworms is dying. He started acting strange a few days ago where he went to one place and didn't move. If he were smaller I'd think he was molting but he's too big for that. He hasn't eaten anything in days and ive tried several types of food. I just tried some chow but he moved his head away. I moved him to a separate container so I could inspect him. He's always been a bit pale but he looks more so now and theres a bit of yellowish liquid coming out his butt (see second picture). He's also very sunken in (squishier than normal)

I decided to put him in the fridge at the very least, that way he'll fall asleep and not be in pain. I'd still like to know what happened to him so I can prevent it in the future. Luckily his roommate seems to be healthy.

Got these itty bitty guys on Thursday. I finally got them into clean containers with some sweet potatoes. I'm hoping they'll grow big and strong like Cheese and the others.

My son found what I figured was an Eastern tent on his walk home from school on Friday and kept it in a habitat where it is now cacooning. Today, he found another one on our tire and brought it in with him to my aunt/uncle in law's house. Upon seeing the catepillar, the uncle flips out, saying it's a gypsy moth and instructs my 8 year old to burn the one cacooning so it doesn't emerge. Another relative steps in and starts calling them an invasive species - which in my head sounds odd seeing as eastern tents are native I thought?

So now I'm confused as I am not an expert, but is this an Eastern tent or not? And if so, are they really that destructive?

We are located in SE Pennsylvania

Cheese has been spoiled on sweet potato all night. Now he no longer wants his chow. Its hard to see in the light but right past his head you can see it inside him. Its slightly orange against his aqua skin. The last picture shows it best.

A recent page I made in my journal. This is a fun one! It makes me feel closer to my caterpillars by appreciating their little differences <3

Scouring Reddit and other online sources, I’ve heard a thing or two about being able to tell the sex of pyrrharctia isabella caterpillars (during later instars). I’m not sure if it’s true or how reliable it is, so I’m testing it out for myself for fun!

Hi!! I wanna get into moth breeding more specifically Luna moths and monarch butterflies and I’m open to other species as well! Im in eastern Canada and I’m in the middle of setting up a huge garden on my in laws land and I think it’s a great opportunity to help boost some populations! I have a special interest in Luna moths and they’re such gorgeous creatures I’d love to help their populations

Salut tout le monde, vous savez ce que c’est le nom de cette chenille, j’aimerai la relâcher sur sa plante hôte si quelqu’un sait ?

C’est en suisse à Genève

Geneva Switzerland

14 hatched since yesterday!

Black Swallow-tail getting ready to get into the chrysalis.

FINALLY caught a pupation on camera!

A few days I made a post asking what all the liquid that came out of my hornworm was. A few redditors said I must have tore his skin picking him up. I was so worried for him but he apears to be on the mend.

I want to give a PSA for all new caterpillar owners so they don't make the same mistake. Even if you've picked one up before with no problem doesn't mean it'll always be that way. If they don't 100% let go, do not pull them off no matter how gentle you try to be. If you need to move them to clean the tank, get them to move onto something else. It may take awhile to get them all to move but its not worth potentially hurting them. Ive found gently tapping their butts can get some to move but its not always a guarantee.

The best way is to find a set up that doesn't require them too be moved too often. I'm still learning the best way to do this. I'll share some pictures when I figured it out as well as the supplies I used. In the meantime he's a short video of Cheese eating his favorite snack - sweet potato.