Strange caterpillar

[Rick]

Munching on my azeleas. I have an ID request up on bugguide since I couldn't find one like it on there. Anyone here know what it will be?

 

[ismart]

It is a Azalea caterpillar in it's defence posture.

 

[ismart]

Whoops, i forgot to tell you the adult moth is called Major datana.

 

[Rick]

Whoops, i forgot to tell you the adult moth is called Major datana.

Thanks! Pics I found look boring. I was hoping for something fancy. First year I have seen them on the plants.

 

[ismart]

Unfortunetly there nothing fancy. The caterpillar looks cooler than the adult moth. In large numbers they can cause damage to azeleas.

 

[Rick]

Unfortunetly there nothing fancy. The caterpillar looks cooler than the adult moth. In large numbers they can cause damage to azeleas.

Mine look like ###### anyways so they can eat the whole plant for all I care.

 

[agent A]

instead of making a new topic I am gonna ask a question about a mystery pillar here

my study skills teacher found a 3 inch caterpillar that looks like a spiny cucumber and her yard has apple and pear trees, what could it be, I said it might be a saturniid, is this reasonable?

 

[ABbuggin]

Could be a Cecropia. They like fruit trees, but a picture would be best for identification.

 

[agent A]

Could be a Cecropia. They like fruit trees, but a picture would be best for identification.

but I think cecropias are cocoons by now! anyway I think it could be an Io moth (God I hope those kids don't get stung by it)

 

[agent A]

Could be a Cecropia. They like fruit trees, but a picture would be best for identification.

but I think cecropias are cocoons by now! anyway I think it could be an Io moth (God I hope those kids don't get stung by it)

 

[ABbuggin]

but a picture would be best for identification.

 

[agent A]

yes but my teacher doesn't have a picyet she forgot, I told her to put a bunch of different leaves in and see what it eats, I've seen cecropias and polyphemus moths in CT wildly as adult moths