Caterpillar Ideas, Tips & Guides

When you see a caterpillar on dill in your garden—or other plants—you may be startled, grossed out, or annoyed that your plant is being systematically decimated. I get excited. Because I know it’s a black swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes) that’s going to turn into a beautiful butterfly. And that butterfly is going to become one of many valuable pollinators in my garden. I see a few types of swallowtail butterflies fluttering about my property, landing on various annuals and perennials. They are am

Catalpa trees, with two species native to the United States, are known for their beautiful and plentiful blooms and for being the sole source of food for catalpa worms—caterpillars that strip the tree of its foliage and eventually become the catalpa sphinx moth.

This time of year, many caterpillars are actively feeding on trees throughout the state. These spikey little caterpillars will turn into the IO moth, a species common throughout South Carolina.

One day, your brassicas are swaying happily in the breeze, and the next, out of nowhere, you’ve been invaded by the worst—cabbage moths and worms! They sneak up on you, camouflaged and relentless. But before your harvest becomes a lost cause, here are ways to get rid of them!

The name ‘caterpillar’ comes from the old French word chatepelose, which means ‘hairy cat’. Caterpillars are the eating and growing stage of butterflies and moths. Many are green but others are intricately patterned, which makes them straightforward to identify.

Fall armyworms are being reported in lawns and pastures across South Carolina. If you notice caterpillars feeding or moving in large numbers during the early morning or late evening hours, you may have an infestation.

Fall armyworms (Spodotera frugiperda) are not a welcome visitor in the Southeast. They often appear in large numbers inlate summer to early fall and make the ground appear as if it’s moving as they devour every bit of vegetation in their paths. “They will march across your lawn, just like an army,” says Clint Waltz, PhD, turfgrass extension specialist at theUniversity of Georgia. “The adult moths are not a turf issue, but they lay eggs which become voracious caterpillars that can decimate a lawn and heavily damage certain types of turfgrasses.”

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One of our most striking moths, the elephant hawk-moth is a large species, mainly golden green but with bright pink patterning on its body and wings. It’s named after its caterpillar, which has large, fake eye spots and is said to look like an elephant.

British wildflowers are some of the most reliable and beautiful plants you can grow. Being native, all of them have some benefit to wildlife, be it flowers for pollinators or leaves for caterpillars and other larvae.

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There is much to love about passion flowers (Passiflora spp. and cvs., Zones 6–11). There are over 550 different species in the genus; some are shrubs and trees, but the ones that are most familiar to gardeners are the tropical-looking, tendril-bearing, climbing, flowering vines. These are the passion flower varieties that fall into my category of favorites. Some of these beauties even produce deliciously complex-flavored, fragrant, sweet-tart fruit.

What kind of caterpillar is feeding on this buckeye leaf?

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What is munching on this dill?

It’s almost Bloom time, that weekend in the Irish gardening year when we collectively convince ourselves that the sun shines in Ireland all year round and that picnics on the lawn dressed in boater hats and gingham sundresses are a good idea.

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Which common bird made its nest underneath this cucumber plant?

What is this critter that was found resting on the wall inside of a garage?

The orange-tip is one of the first butterflies of the year to emerge and can be found nectaring on spring flowers such as bluebells and cuckoo flower. The male is white with orange wing tips while the female has black wing tips – both sexes have beautiful mottled underwings, which are visible when mating and resting. After mating the female lays eggs on the flower stalks of cuckoo flower and hedge mustard, but in gardens may also lay on honesty and sweet rocket.

Derived from the seeds of Azadirachta indica, neem oil can be beneficial in a lot of ways to keep the trees safe from various pests and diseases issues, which can ultimately help it flower and fruit better. 

Hornworms can be very frustrating and difficult to get rid of. They have impressive appetites, which means they can do a lot of damage very quickly – but it is possible to save your plants.

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If you are not sure whether indoor plants attract bugs or not, and don’t have any idea on how to spot them on your green friends – well, we are here to help!

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Small Cabbage White Caterpillar (pic)

There are many unique sounds in the world. Our ears are finely attuned to noises of many levels, and some can pick up the faintest sounds. But have you ever heard a screaming caterpillar? We tend to think of butterflies, moths, and other insects as mostly soundless. Some insects like cicadas and crickets are rather noisy, but most are silent. Caterpillar sounds are faint and hard to discern without certain electronic equipment, but recent studies have shown they are there.

This is a caterpillar known as the hickory horned devil. The adult is a beautiful moth known as the regal moth (Citheronia regalis), but it is rarely seen due to its nocturnal habit.

This looks a lot like bird poop; however, it’s just a camouflage tactic of the giant swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio cresphontes). This species is often called the “orangedog” as they feed on members of the citrus family throughout their larval stage.

This is the caterpillar of the imperial moth (Eacles imperialis). The imperial moth is one of the largest moths in the Southeast.

Though I cannot see without a hand magnifying lens if they have the requisite tiny markings, I’m betting from its overall appearance and velvety surface that this is the larval stage of the cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae, because I have also seen its adult stage flying around, a smallish butterfly with a couple of smudgy spots on each white wing.This article from Missouri Botanical Garden is extremely detailed on my latest visitor, also known as the imported cabbage worm, and other pests of cabbage relatives, including cabbage looper and the caterpillar of the diamondback moth. The latter two caterpillars are smooth, not velvety, among other clues to differentiating among the three.As with all caterpillars, these can be controlle

‘I WILL BE  A BUTTERFLY, I WILL,” the black swallowtail caterpillar said between bites of dill foliage yesterday. “I think you are very beautiful even now,” I said, and asked if I could take his picture.

Besides being an arboretum and public garden, The Morton is a world-class 1,700-acre research center, conservation and education organization, and it’s preparing to mark its centennial in 2022.Last year, 17,000 questions arrived by phone, email, or in person at the plant clinic, questions representing consumers from 48 states. Julie is a former landscape designer who has managed the arboretum’s free plant clinic for three years, after volunteering there for five years before that.