Donna Young's Blog: Green Caterpillar

Green Caterpillar

Donna Young @ 26 April 2007
Filed in Categories: Bugs Biology

http://donnayoung.org

Last Saturday, April 21, I gathered leaf litter from the woods for my garden. I used a leaf rake to gather the litter. At some point in this task, I uncovered a green caterpillar. I picked it up along with leaf litter and placed it in a plastic container. After that, I continued working. Afterward, I was too tired to take a picture of the caterpillar. I will describe the caterpillar: it is without fuzz and without horns; it is bright green and has pale markings along its side. I checked on the caterpillar the next day, but again, I did not take a picture.

Two nights ago, I checked on the caterpillar and I could not find it. I know that it is bright green and simply glows against the earthy litter and I know that it would have been impossible to escape the plastic container because it has a tight fitting lid. Therefore, I started looking for a cocoon and I found it within seconds. The caterpillar attached its cocoon to a pine needle and I suppose that is the best it could have done since I did not provide a stick. It did not occur to me that it would enter the next stage so quickly and I have been very busy. :worry:

I broke and wedged a wooden skewer in the container. After attaching the skewer, I taped the pine needle to the middle of the skewer. I did this for one reason: When the moth emerges from the cocoon, it might need space to dry its wings.

Images of plastic box and cocoon:

Plastic box
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Cocoon Taped to Skewer
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Cocoon

Cocoon
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Bugs, Biology

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Tanya · Apr 26, 10:01 AM · #

Donna, you are so good. I would have said "ewwww yuck" and then stepped on it.
Michelle · Apr 26, 10:47 AM · #

Way cool! What do you think it will turn into?

We are getting ready to do our annual "gather all the Monarch caterpillars". Feed them milkweeds and watch them turn into butterflies. We have yet to actually see one come out of the cacoon. What a photo that would be!

Love the pics.
Elaine · Apr 26, 05:55 PM · #

You are good. I’m more like CC.

I guess I’ll live vicariously through you on this type of stuff.
Donna Young · Apr 26, 10:42 PM · #

That is ok Tanya and Elaine, bugs are not everyone’s cup of tea. ;) I will still let you look at my pictures if you want to.

Michelle, at this moment, I don’t know, but have narrowed it to a family or two. I’ve looked at images and suspect that it might be in the Saturniidae family. It’s big, bald, and green like some in that family, but then again it could be in an entire different family.

Do you grow Milkweed? I used to have a milkweed plant but it died and I’ve not been able to get another one.

Have fun gathering your Monarchs, that is so much fun! :) I hope you catch one emerging this year.
Michelle · Apr 28, 06:43 PM · #

Milkweeds are like weeds around here. Do you want me to send you some seeds? I don’t have any going to seed right now, but will be soon...I think. I really need to get more from my neighbor. Hubby has cut most of my Milkweed down.

Matthew found a massive green caterpillar when he was three. We didn’t know at the time we could keep it and maybe watch it change. We have always wondered what it was and thought it might be a Luna month.

Do you know how long it will be before your cacoon opens?
Donna Young · Apr 28, 07:29 PM · #

Yes, I would very much like to have some milkweed seeds. :)

"Do you know how long it will be before your cacoon opens?"

That’s a good question. I don’t know. :) I hope that it does not take a long time.
Michelle · May 2, 06:47 PM · #

I spoke with my neighbor who has more Milkweed than I, and she said they will not go to seed until late summer. She also said you should plant them right away, when they are fresh. Still want me to send you some, when they go to seed?
Donna Young · May 3, 05:20 PM · #

You can be sure that I do, as long as it is no trouble. :D
megan · May 4, 03:31 PM · #

HELP!! I can’t find out what kind my caterpillars are. I almost have 400 of them.
Donna Young · May 4, 04:35 PM · #

That is a lot of caterpillars. :)
Darlene · Jun 12, 02:29 PM · #

I have a picture of the catapillar you are describing. I think it’s the same one. Any idea of what it is? I found mine in one of my Peony Blossoms, head down in the center. I didn’t know if I should kill it or not, so I put it under a jar cover, thinking to find it on the web. It took longer than I had expected, and by the time I got back to take it’s picture, it had expired. Is there some way to send you the digital picture?
Donna Young · Jun 12, 02:43 PM · #

I emailed you.

The caterpillar finally turned into a moth, but I have not looked it up. It became a brown moth. I posted an image here: Moth and Off
frances trawick · Jun 16, 03:09 PM · #

I found two green caterpillars on my red geranium. should I keep them to see if they turn into butterflies
frankie21 · Nov 21, 05:06 PM · #

You could, I found 2 of them too. One made a Cocoon. Can’t find the other ... :???:
Emily · Jun 20, 10:29 PM · #

how long did it take for the caterpillar to turn into a moth\\\\butterfly? =S
Donna Young · Jun 21, 01:00 AM · #

Emily it took around 7 weeks.
shania · Jul 4, 11:24 AM · #

:grin: I found a caterpillar a few days ago. It’s called a Gypsy Moth Caterpillar. All itdoes is sleep poo and eat. And when i wake him up he just looks around for a while. I got a branch that curvesn at the top for a place to make his cacoon. I hope he makes it soon! :grin:
shania · Jul 4, 11:31 AM · #

I was thinking i should get a piece of bark and put it in the container so if its a girl it can put its eggs there or if its a boy i’ll hang it at the top of the container and he can make a cacoon when he is ready....cause that curved stick....i don’t think it will work well...does anyone know how to tell when the caterpillar is ready? My caterpillar is not very energetic anymore could that be a sign? :grin:
shania · Jul 4, 11:37 AM · #

p.s My name really is shania my mom loves the singer shania twain. so she named me it :!: My nickname is shy. because am shy. Eveybody ask’s if my name really is shania it’s annoying... :mad: lol
Donna Young · Jul 4, 03:19 PM · #

Shania’s a pretty name. I’ve not observed many caterpillars, but I think you’re right about its lack of energy indicating that it is preparing to cocoon.
shania · Jul 5, 01:48 PM · #

Thank you! i found three more caterpillars and there the same kind... I found a small one and 2 big ones. I make sure that the big ones are on the big fat stick i got for them,just in case there ready to make a cacoon. p.s I think donna is a pretty name :grin:
shania · Jul 5, 01:58 PM · #

Do you think i should leave the caterpillars alone? I mean none of them are energetic so....they may be close to making a cacoon....or are they getting close to death??? I give them freash leaves every few days and i put a little bit of water on them each day and clean the droppings out! i also leave them outside so they can get fresh air. Is that how u take care of a caterpillar? :???: :worry: OMG guess what just happened?? one of the caterpillars just woke up and started squirming really bad i mean his head was lifting up and down and so was his legs!!! then he went back to sleep....Maybe he had a bad dream...??? It was the biggest one too.....All of the caterpillars are sleeping ecept one and that one is eating....i can hear him :!: :grin: :ooo:
shania · Jul 6, 12:01 PM · #

i know all caterpillars squirm but it looked like he was having a seizure!It was scary. :worry:
shania · Jul 6, 06:08 PM · #
austin · Jul 7, 11:21 AM · #

I have a cater piller and it has just been sitting there and gets up and eats and it goes back to the same spot it was and I left it alone for two day put it in light and the next two days it was hanging on 2 branches I took one off now it is just hanging upside down it wiggles once and a while I still give it fresh food every day and I put it ong my deck it is just hanging there doing nothing when I move the jar which has holes it moves help here plz.. :cry: :cry:
Donna Young · Jul 7, 12:45 PM · #

Shania and Austin, I hope your caterpillars do okay. It sounds like you are taking good care of them.
shania · Jul 7, 04:57 PM · #

Austin i have the same problem! I think that the caterpillars are getting ready to cacoon soon. I have a little brother named Austin and he got a caterpillar too its 3 centimeaters long! it’s the same type as mine and will probly spin a cacoon real soon. All my caterpillars are doing are eating pooing and sleeping they like to go to the top of the roof of the cage and sleep on the stick. The little ones stay down while the big ones are on the roof all day. Guess what happened yesterday? I lost one of the little caterpillars and i was looking around and i looked up and there he was crawling on the celilng! I hato call caterpilar patrol (me) and i got a stick and saved him! P.s This note is to frankie21 Next time you lose a caterpillar try looking on the ceiling! :grin:
shania · Jul 8, 01:28 PM · #

:cry: My caterpillar does not have sticky legs! You know how caterpillar has grip? Well one of mine doesent! :cry: And he dosent have hair on his body like the rest of them....And iv\\\'e noticed something on the caterpillar right before the head starts he has white skin instead of brown and no blue spots! What happened to him....is he going to die???? :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:
Charity · Jul 9, 03:45 PM · #

My daughter braught home a plant from school and we don’t know what it is. Now we have about 20 caterpillars on it and we can’t identify them either. Can you help? The plant is a thick, light colored vine with round flat leaves similar to lilly pads. The caterpillars are green, smooth and have no distinguishing marks. The head blends with the body. I can send you pictures if that would help. I’ve been on numerous sites today and can’t find anything and am about to give up. If I can’t identify them soon, my father will remove them to "protect" his other plants nearby.
shania · Jul 11, 02:05 PM · #

One of the caterpillars made a cacoon!!! It was the second biggest one! Guess what??? My mom found a giant moth and put it in a container and it layed 41 eggs thats 41 caterpillars for me! Well not acutly some goes to my bro and some die and some to me. you know that caterpillar that had no sticky legs and no hair? Well he is still like that and the white part turned into like a part of his head or something its really weird and all that caterpillar does is sleep he does not eat and he looks kinda dry like needs water so i put lots of water in there but he’s not feeling any better.... :cry: :worry: :???:
Donna Young · Jul 11, 04:11 PM · #

Charity I couldn’t tell you what your caterpillar is. I could not discover the identity of mine, even after it changed into a moth.

Shania that is good news that one of them made a cocoon!!

I am sorry that one of them is sick.

Forty-one caterpillars is a lot!! :grin: I hope you all enjoy raising them.
shania · Jul 14, 05:18 PM · #

Charity i think i know what the caterpillar is! If the caterpillar is really small then it is a inch worm if it is big or medium sized then it’s one of these Hornworm,cabbage looper,safflower caterpillar, or maybe a green clover worm. try typing smooth caterpillar on google images to find a match. :grin:
Leanna · Jul 24, 02:01 PM · #

Donna, I have 1 caterpiller and i dont know what it is.

Its is small, bright green, with pale markings at its side and 4 yellow lines seperating the segmants, do you know what it is?

I think its the same one as yours.

I dont think it eats though and it always stays still but when i poke it with a leaf it moves...if it sleeping?
Anne-Marie · Jul 24, 04:55 PM · #

Could you please assist us? My daughter and I were out in our yard the other day and found what I think was a catepillar. it was green with a hot pink stripe all the way down it’s back. it seems like it’s head was two shades of green with two black eyes. We should have put it in a jar or something because it was very very pretty and i’ve never seen anything like it before. Could you please tell me what type of catepillar it might have been and where i can look at another picture of one? Also, could you respond via e-mail as I am pretty new to messaging like this? Thank you, Mommy of inquisitive 3 year old named Anne-Marie
Donna Young · Jul 24, 05:04 PM · #

I’m sorry, but I can’t identify your caterpillars.
Leanna · Jul 26, 08:40 PM · #

Oh, well thats okay.
Leanna · Jul 28, 04:07 PM · #

Can you tell if my caterpillar is dead if I describe it to you?

Its is crunched up and is brown..its not moving.

I’m scared if it might be a cacoon so i didn’t poke it.

I think i know its NOT a cacoon becauseits doesnt look like yours.

Can you PLEASE PLEASE help me?
Donna Young · Jul 28, 04:35 PM · #

Leanna, different caterpillars do different things, not all of them would look like the one pictured here. Crunched up and brown doesn’t sound very good though. :worry:

This page describes a few things that caterpillars do before they change.

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/natbltn/400-499/nb468.htm
L:ynn · Aug 14, 11:35 AM · #

Hi

We were camping and my daughter caught a large (about 3 inches long, and about 3/4 of a inch wide)fluorescent green caterpillar. It wasn’t fuzzy at all, but had ridges in it like a coil. Does that sound like yours? She put it in her butterfly house and it cacooned that night. After about a month it hatched this week into a large brown and tan colored moth*, with a pretty pattern. Any idea what kind of moth it might be? Assume its a moth and not a butterfly because of the muted colors.
Michelle Brown · Sep 5, 11:41 PM · #

Anne Marie,

Your pink/spotted eye caterpillar sounds like this one here:

http://www.geocities.com/brisbane_moths/FourSpottedCup.htm

:) Michelle

PS I currently have the "green caterpillar" you are describing; will try to get you a picture. I live in Texas in the US and grow milkweed to attract the monarchs. I brought in 4 monarchs and what I thought was "cleaned" leaves because it is getting hotter and the birds are eating my caterpillars, and I discovered the pale green, fuzzless caterpillar as well. I am still trying to find a picture on the web to identify, but now will narrow my search to moths - thanks! :)
XDDD arnelle!!! yeahh!! · Sep 10, 11:10 PM · #

hi im arnelle and im worried about my caterpillar beace its like not moving and it like brown but its not all the way brown its green still though.... but yeah and it hasnt been eating and well

it not crawing on the tree branch that i gave im...

hmmm do they have to hang while making there cocoon??

just wondering sooo..... yeahh!

and like three day ago it was crawing around and around and yeah hm

hmmm HELPPP!!!! :cry:
anomyos · Oct 19, 06:49 AM · #

my caterpilar isn’t eating much i gave lemon leaves it ate the first one i gave it but didn’t eat the rest.
· Nov 5, 09:16 PM · #

me and my sis found 2 green caterpillars but my sis killed 1 and this one currently is fine we had if for about 7 months y hasnt it turned into a cacoon?help!!!!!!!!!!!! :cry:
Norma · Dec 6, 04:13 PM · #

i just found a catipillar yesterday on some concrete then tookhim home withme since over nite he has lost a lot of hair what does that mean he is sick or about to go into a coucoun
Norma · Dec 6, 04:15 PM · #

:???: :worry: :worry: :worry: :worry: :worry: :worry: :worry: :worry: :worry:

how do i know the little guy is ok please write me back and let me know thankz a bunch