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Trichordestra legitima & I need a bleepin' camera!
https://gladerebooted.net/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3985		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  LadyKate [ Wed Aug 25, 2010 11:52 am ]
Post subject:  Trichordestra legitima & I need a bleepin' camera!
My son and I were out and about and came across a solid block and a half of sidewalk and grass literally crawling with hundreds of caterpillars. We took a couple home to try and figure out what they are....my best guess is Trichordestra legitima, or the Striped Garden caterpillar....except these have light green bodies underneath and not tan, and their stripes are less pronounced.
With my pitiful camera that does not do close ups, this is the best pic I could come up with. Anyone want to confirm, deny, or take a stab at classifying these lil critters?


Image
Author:  Hopwin [ Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
Silly Kate, those aren't caterpillars. They are french fries! You should try one :D
Author:  Ladas [ Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:08 pm ]
Post subject: 
They look like Tent Caterpillars to me.
Author:  LadyKate [ Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:10 pm ]
Post subject: 
Ladas wrote:
They look like Tent Caterpillars to me.


I would have thought so as well, except I didn't see any indication or evidence of a tent nearby...and dont tent caterpillars usually have some sort of hair? These ones are totally hairless.
That's a good guess though...we do have an abundance of tent caterpillars in this area, although I haven't seen any for a month or two.
Author:  Ladas [ Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:18 pm ]
Post subject: 
Your photograph has wisps near the bodies on the two on the right, which I took for hair. Looking more closely, it must be an optical illusion or reflection artifacts.
Author:  Ladas [ Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?guide=Caterpillars


Guide site for MS caterpillars that will let you search by character of the caterpillar.
Author:  LadyKate [ Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
That's the first place I went, Ladas. It was very informative...the closest I could find was the Striped garden caterpillar and possibly Anthocharis midea:


Image
Author:  Ladas [ Wed Aug 25, 2010 1:16 pm ]
Post subject: 
Looks like something from the Anisota group... the Oakworms, which according to the little bit of reading I did on this so far, start to appear this time of year.

Specifically, the Orange-stripped Oak Worm.
Author:  Aethien [ Wed Aug 25, 2010 2:04 pm ]
Post subject: 
Don't have much by way of help, but, that's a very cool site, Ladas, thanks.

If you never quite can identify it to your satisfaction, you can always send something to the folks at www.whatsthatbug.com
They may take a few days to get back you, but they can usually ID things pretty reliably. Just don't tell them you squish bugs, if you do. And, oddly enough, they have a whole bunch of caterpillars on the front page right now. That Hickory Horned Devil is pretty *****'.
Author:  LadyKate [ Wed Aug 25, 2010 2:07 pm ]
Post subject: 
Ladas: The Orange Striped oak worm has a black-based body with spikes or horns....these caterpillars have none and are smooth.
They were also found all over the sidewalk and the grass and nowhere near a tree.
Puzzling.....I wish I had a camera that would do close-ups. I really think a better photo would make the identification process easier.
Author:  LadyKate [ Wed Aug 25, 2010 2:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re:
Aethien wrote:
Don't have much by way of help, but, that's a very cool site, Ladas, thanks.

If you never quite can identify it to your satisfaction, you can always send something to the folks at www.whatsthatbug.com
They may take a few days to get back you, but they can usually ID things pretty reliably. Just don't tell them you squish bugs, if you do. And, oddly enough, they have a whole bunch of caterpillars on the front page right now. That Hickory Horned Devil is pretty *****'.


Thanks, Aethien! Just submitted our photo and description so maybe we'll get an answer. Pretty cool stuff!
I love bugs. I don't know why.
Author:  Ladas [ Wed Aug 25, 2010 2:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re:
LadyKate wrote:
Ladas: The Orange Striped oak worm has a black-based body with spikes or horns....these caterpillars have none and are smooth.
They were also found all over the sidewalk and the grass and nowhere near a tree.
Puzzling.....I wish I had a camera that would do close-ups. I really think a better photo would make the identification process easier.

Hard to tell, since I found a lot of reference photographs of the Orange striped, and some were black with distinct orange stripes, some were green. That said, it might not be that particular species, but I think its still in the Anisota group based upon the general description and character of the caterpillar.

Also, this time of year, these caterpillars are pretty common, and start dropping to the ground and looking for places to burrow into the ground, where they will spend the winter months in pupae form. Its not surprising you found them on the ground rather than in the trees.

But yeah, a better photo would be easier. I'm working from a mental image of similiar caterpillars we have here based upon your photo, but the ones I'm thinking of aren't green... but your pictures look all brown.
Author:  LadyKate [ Thu Aug 26, 2010 7:19 am ]
Post subject: 
Yeah, its the lighting and the stupid camera that makes them look brown.
Anyhoo, thanks for the help Ladas. I got a reply from that place Aethien suggested and it was only one line:

Quote:
they are some species of cutworm


The pictures I've found don't show any that look exactly like the ones we found, but the description of behavior and habitat do:

Quote:
Female moths can lay hundreds of eggs, singly or in small clusters. They typically deposit them on low-growing plants and on plant residue. Migrating moths lay eggs on the soil and the larvae hatch to feed on plants....Native cutworms overwinter in weedy areas, grassy fields or pastures. It is often in these areas and along field borders where problems arise.
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