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Butterfly and Skipper Caterpillars

The caterpillar does all the work but the butterfly gets all the publicity. George Carlin (1937-2008)

  1. 'Sweadner's' Juniper Hairstreak

    The 'Sweadner's' Juniper Hairstreak caterpillar blends in perfectly with the needles of the red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), its host plant.

  2. American Lady Caterpillar

  3. American Snout Caterpillar

  4. Arogos Skipper Caterpillar

  5. Black Swallowtail Caterpillar

  6. Black Swallowtail Caterpillars

    This symmetrical pair of Black Swallowtail caterpillars was on Rue in our herb garden. Young caterpillars at this stage have "saddles" on ther backs.

  7. Brazilian Skipper Caterpillar

    You can see the internal organs in the Brazilian Skipper, also known as a Canna Skipper.

  8. Brown Elfin Caterpillar

    It was recently learned that Brown Elfins populate parts of the Florida Panhandle. They feed on the flowers of Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia).

  9. Cassius Blue Caterpillar

  10. Clouded Skipper Caterpillar

  11. Cloudless Sulphur Caterpillar

  12. Cloudless Sulphur Caterpillar

  13. Cloudless Sulphur Caterpillars

    Cloudless Sulphur caterpillars occur in several different colors and patterns.

  14. Common Buckeye Caterpillar

  15. Common Buckeye Caterpillar

    Common Buckeyes use many host plants in the Broomrape family (OROBANCHACEAE){formerly included in the SCROPHULARIACEAE or Snapdragon family) including the False Foxglove (Agalinis sp.).

  16. Common or Tropical Checkered skipper Caterpillar

  17. Eufala Skipper Caterpillar

  18. Fiery Skipper Caterpillar

  19. Frosted Elfin Caterpillar

    Frosted Elfin caterpillars seem to prefer to eat the flowers of its host plant, Sundal Lupine (Lupinus perennis).

  20. Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar

  21. Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar

    This is a head-on view of the Giant Swallowtail caterpillar.

  22. Goatweed Leafwing Caterpillar

  23. Goatweed Leafwing Caterpillar

  24. Goatweed Leafwing Caterpillar

  25. Golden banded-skipper Caterpillar

  26. Great Southern White Caterpillar

  27. Gulf Fritillary and Variegated Fritillary Caterpillars

    The Gulf Fritillary (bottom) and Variegated Fritillary (top) both use Passionflower vines (Pasiflora spp.) as a host plant.

  28. Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar

  29. Hackberry Emperor Caterpillar

    The caterpillars of the Hackberry and Tawny Emperors are very similar. To distinguish the two species, look for the thicker stripes on the Tawny Emperor compared to the very thin lines on the Hackberry Emperor caterpillar.

  30. Harvester Caterpillar

    Harvester caterpillar with aphids on green ash leaf

  31. Hoary Edge Caterpillar

  32. Horace's Duskywing Caterpillar

  33. Julia Caterpillar

  34. Juvenal's Duskywing

  35. Lace-winged Roadside-skipper Caterpillar

  36. Little Metalmark Caterpillar

    In north Florida, caterpillars of the Little Metalmark are found on the undersides of the basal leaves of Vanillaleaf (Carphephorus odoratissimus), their host plant.

  37. Little Yellow Caterpillar

  38. Long-tailed Skipper Caterpillar

  39. Malachite Caterpillar

  40. Mangrove Skipper Caterpillar

  41. Miami Blue Caterpillar

    The Miami Blue is near extinction in Florida due mostly to habitat loss. It is feared that several populations no longer exist. This Miami Blue caterpillar was reared in captivity in an effort to repopulate the species in south Florida. The captive rearing program currently has been suspended.

  42. Monarch Caterpillar

    The Queen caterpillar which mimics the Monarch caterpillar has an extra set of projections in the middle of the body.

  43. Monarch Caterpillar in J Position

    Most caterpillars travel away from their host plants to prepare for their metamorphosis into chrysalides (plural of chrysalis). This monarch caterpillar has chosen to form its chrysalis on the leaf of a Fireflag (Thalia geniculata)

    View a video of a monarch caterpillar changing into a chrysalis.

  44. Monarch in J Position

    View a video of a monarch caterpillar changing into a chrysalis.

  45. Orange-barred Sulphur Caterpillar

  46. Palamedes Swallowtail Caterpillar

  47. Pearl Crescent Caterpillar

  48. Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar

  49. Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillars

    Young pipevine caterpillars eating pipevine leaf

  50. Polydamas Swallowtail Caterpillar

  51. Polydamas Swallowtail Caterpillars

  52. Queen Caterpillar

  53. Question Mark Caterpillar

  54. Red Admiral Caterpillar

  55. Red Admiral Caterpillar

  56. Ruddy Daggerwing Caterpillar

    This gaudily colored caterpillar is feeding on the leaf of a strangler fig (Ficus sp.), its host plant.

  57. Silver-spotted Skipper Caterpillar

  58. Silvery Checkerspot Caterpillars

  59. Sleepy Orange Caterpillar

  60. Sleepy Orange Caterpillar

  61. Southern Cloudywing Caterpillar

  62. Southern Dogface Caterpillar

  63. Southern Pearlyeye Caterpillar

  64. Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar

    This cute caterpillar has won two photo contests.

  65. Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar

    Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars make a "nest" inside leaves. This one is in a sassafras leaf.

  66. Spicebush Swallowtial Caterpillar

    This caterpillar was wrapped in a sassafras leaf.

  67. Swarthy Skipper Caterpillar

  68. Tawny Emperor Caterpillars

    Many butterfles put just a few eggs per plant. Hackberry Emperors however seem to favor the moth's strategy of "safetty in numbers."

  69. Tawny Emperor Caterpillars

    Tawny Emperor caterpillars have thicker stripes than the similar Hackberry Emperor caterpillar.

  70. Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar

  71. Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar

  72. Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar

  73. Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar

  74. Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar

  75. Variegated Fritillary and Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars

    Variegated Fritillary (top) and Gulf Fritillary (bottom) caterpillars

  76. Variegated Fritillary Caterpillar

  77. Variegated Fritillary Caterpillar

  78. Viceroy Caterpillar

    The caterpillars of the viceroy and its mimic, the Red-spotted Purple, are hard to distinguish in the field. Red-spotted Purples usually feed on cherries and deerberries and only occasionally on willows. However viceroys feed only on willows.

  79. Viceroy Caterpillar

  80. Wild Indigo Duskywing Caterpillar

  81. Yucca Giant-Skipper Caterpillar

    The Yucca Giant-skipper caterpillar feeds on the tubers of yuccas.

  82. Yucca Giant-skipper Caterpillar

    The Yucca Giant-skipper caterpillar constructs a tube at the base of yuccas within which it lives.

  83. Zarucco Duskywing Skipper Caterpillar

    This caterpillar is feeding on American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens), the native non-invasive vine.

  84. Zebra Longwing Caterpillar

  85. Zebra Swallowtail Caterpillar

    Very young Zebra Swallowtail caterpillars are dark. This caterpillar was on the leaf of a slimleaf Pawpaw (Asimina angustifolia).

  86. Zebra Swallowtail Caterpillar

    Zebra Swallowtail caterpillars can be found chewing inside the flowers of pawpaws (Asimina spp.)

  87. Zebra Swallowtail Caterpillar

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