MOTH caterpillars - Group #1
This is a younger instar of the Smeared Dagger Moth. Photographed at Siebenthaler Fen, October 2, 2016.
Another Unexpected Cycnia caterpillar, munching away on its host plant, butterfly weed (orange milkweed). All of the Unexpected Cycnias on this page were photographed at Cox Arboretum. I have also found this species at Germantown MetroPark. I usually find Unexpected Cycnia caterpillars in the month of June and occasionally in July and early August.
Smeared Dagger Moth. These caterpillars have distinctive yellow stripes along the sides of their abdomens.
Spotted Apatelodes Moth. These large caterpillars can be either white or yellow.
Another Spotted Apatelodes caterpillar. I found this cute little guy at Huffman Prairie. I have seen several of these caterpillars at Huffman Prairie, and also one at Cox Arboretum.
Unexpected Cycnia Moth. Finding this caterpillar was certainly unexpected for me. These moths are classified as a threatened species in Ohio.
A pair of Unexpected Cycnias nestled in butterfly weed flowers.
These are Delicate Cycnia caterpillars. These pale gray caterpillars are much less colorful than their cousins above, but Delicate Cycnias are the more common of the two species. These caterpillars remind me of downy gray bird feathers. They feed on milkweed and dogbane.
This is the white version of the Spotted Apatelodes caterpillar. They have cute little red boots on their feet.
Smeared Dagger Moths can be found around many types of watery habitats. I have seen them around ponds, marshy wetlands, and along the Great Miami River. I often encounter these caterpillars while I am hunting for dragonflies.
Another yellow Spotted Apatelodes caterpillar. These caterpillars have a distinctive pattern of black dots along the sides of their abdomen, shown here.
This is an American Dagger Moth caterpillar. It looks similar to the Spotted Apatelodes caterpillars shown above, but American Daggers do not have black dots along the sides of their abdomen.