help ID - mystery cat large pics

16 years ago

Hi,

I am trying to document host plant use in my yard for a project. I am hoping someone here can help me ID this caterpillar. It is on my Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus drummondii).

Here are the pics.

sideview

{{gwi:481562}}

face view

{{gwi:481564}}

if the photos need to be more detailed let me know and I will go harass the cat again with my digital camara.

Thanks,

Kate

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Comments (5)

MissSherry
16 years ago
Don't bother the cat!
That's a fairly early instar salt marsh moth caterpillar - I don't know why they call them salt marsh moths, because they occur in inland areas. Your cat will darken with age, as I recall. SMMs use a big variety of host plants, I've even found them on aristolochia tomentosa/woolly pipevine!
Here's a picture I made of a cat just like yours a few years ago and a picture of the adult moth -
{{gwi:449419}}
{{gwi:443653}}
MissSherry
kate_rose
Original Author
16 years ago
Wow thats a gorgeous moth! I will have to keep an eye on the cat. I am not really harassing it to much I just rotated the leaves to get the pics : ). If it eats my whole mallow I have another I can move it to.

It looks like you raised that cat to an adult Miss Sherry. I used to do that as a kid and haven't thought to try it again. I bet you get fabulous pics.

I have to much habitat improvment to do at the moment but eventually I will have time.

Thanks. You seem to be a fount of knowledge.

Kate
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Bihai, the green Pothos is exactly like the variegated form, only it's color is different. In fact, varieg forms sometimes revert to an all green plant, and yours very likely is a reversion. The green form is faster and stronger growing since all of it's leaf surface can produce food. I don't see a lot of pinholes on the leaves in your photo, but there do seem to be a few along the midribs, highlighted by the sun in your underleaf shot. If present, these would at least identify it as an Epipremnum. I find it hard to keep from yawning in the presence of most tuberous Aroids, and Arisaemas downright put me to sleep. Many amorphophallus species are interesting in the colors and patterns of their petioles and leaves. I'm never over-impressed by their blooms, to me it's strictly a foliage plant. This genus has taken the Int'l Aroid Society growers by storm over the last many years. I think they're an interesting addition to an Aroid collection of other non-tuberous genera, but that's all. Vining Philos and Monsteras are the most fascinating of the Aroids in my opinion, for their uncanny search for height, and scandent immature and mature climbing leaf stages which can be explosively dramatic, especially in Monsteras. Russ
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I had one of those on a little tiny Cassia earlier this season-- I got all excited thinking it was a Sulphur cat of some sort. I think it's a leafroller of some kind. Leafrollers are members of the Tortricidae family, which include 5,000 species throughout the world. Perhaps someone can be more type-specific. Megan :)
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MissSherry
16 years ago
Thank you, Kate!
I never raised caterpillars when I was a child, but now it's practically my occupation! I guess you could say I'm in my second childhood! :)
MissSherry
emmayct
16 years ago
I raised one of those myself one year when I found it on a chrysanthemum we were growing at the nursery. No surprise there since the nursery bordered a salt marsh inlet of the CT river!

The moth IS beautiful. And so is the caterpillar.

Maryann
tracey_nj6
16 years ago
Wow, some gorgeous photo's here, and what a cool moth! Maybe my mother wouldn't hate moths so much if we has some of those beauties ;)

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help ID - mystery cat large pics

Comments (5)

MissSherry

kate_rose
Original Author

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help ID - mystery cat large pics

Comments (5)

MissSherry

kate_roseOriginal Author

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kate_rose
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