The body has distinct dorsal protuberances covered with spikes which makes it easy to identify this caterpillar. One of the unique identifying features of this caterpillar are the yellow, blue, or orange tubercles that grow on the body. The green dragon-headed caterpillar has 4 horns on its head and white markings (stripes) on its sides. Cabbage looper caterpillars have a voracious appetite and can devour three times their body weight in a day. Identify the long-tailed skipper caterpillar by its black ball-like head, yellow markings on its body in the form of lines and dots, and orange prolegs. To identify the forester moth caterpillar, look for a bright yellow caterpillar with black markings along its back and sides. The spicebush swallowtail caterpillar changes from brown to green and then yellowish-green. #8. Caterpillars such as inchworms and cabbage worms belong to the class Insecta. Although this caterpillar doesnt sting, the sharp spikes could prick your skin and cause irritation. Other unusual features of this green and brown caterpillar are its long, narrow tail-like projections and the brown, red, and green rings. As they mature, they take on a green color and grow up to 1.5 (4 cm). Also called cabbage moth caterpillar, the tiny green wriggling larvae measure up to 0.4 (1 cm). The large Imperial moth caterpillar can greatly vary in color. Youll notice that the stripy caterpillar has six large fleshy tentaclestwo pairs near its head and two shorter horns at its tail end. After pupation, the caterpillar turns into an attractive brown butterfly with identifiable brown eyespots on its wings. Looking at pictures of the green dragon-headed caterpillar, its easy to see how Polyura athamas gets its common name. A southern flannel caterpillar has a brown furry appearance with a broad rounded head that tapers to the tail end. The stinging green, yellow, or red spiny protrusions radiate around its body make it easy to identify. Forest Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria). It feeds on elm trees and can reach lengths up to three inches. The Rosy Maple caterpillar is a striped, bright neon green caterpillar with a brown head, bands of black dots, and a pair of black antennae. Early instars are dark brown and molt to a dull orange. Generally found in states such as Texas, Florida, South Carolina, and Mississippi, the Rustic Sphinx caterpillar (Manduca rustica) is a green horned caterpillar species. Some types of caterpillars are easy to identify because of where they feed. The Dragon-Headed caterpillar is a long, dark-green slug-like caterpillar with a large head, four scary-looking horns, whitish-yellow lateral stripes, and small white spots. The white-marked tussock moth caterpillar . White-Marked Tussock Caterpillar (Orgyia leucostigma). Milkweed tiger caterpillars grow 1.4 (3.5 cm) long. Identifying features of the long-tailed skipper caterpillar are its green body with bands of yellowish dots and yellow lines running its length. Yellow Caterpillars with Identification Guide and Pictures, Types of Caterpillars with Identification Chart & Pictures, Types of Hairy Caterpillars (With Pictures) - Identification Guide, Types of Arizona Caterpillars (With Pictures) - Identification Guide, Florida Caterpillars (Including Hairy and Fuzzy) with Pictures Identification Guide, types of caterpillars are easy to identify, large green larvae with black and yellow stripes, Types of Yellow Caterpillars (With Pictures), Types of Horned Caterpillars (With Pictures), Types of Striped Caterpillars (With Pictures). This is not a poisonous or stinging type of caterpillar. Monkey Slug Caterpillar (Phobetron pithecium). White feathery spines also stick out from its sides. This caterpillar has a green body with a pale dotted line along its side and narrow yellowish bands separating its segments. Although this makes the caterpillar look menacing, the horn doesnt sting. Some exotic southern caterpillars have fleshy tentacle-like spikes that help with identification. If the rash really stings, applying ice for 10 to 15 minutes will usually help relieve the pain. The large eumorpha sphinx caterpillar is green with yellow diagonal lines and black dots but can have color variations. There are also stinging hairs on its four sets of prolegs. Tasar Silkworm Caterpillar In its larval stage, Diprion pini can do tremendous damage to pine trees. The tomato hornworm is a bright green caterpillar with V-shaped markings and a row of eye-like markings along its sides. This gives them enough energy to metamorphose into beautiful flying insects. All types of caterpillars, including green ones, gorge on a diet of plant and tree leaves. Hence, the shade of green would help you identify a caterpillar better. The cats are about 1 1/2 inches long. Feeding by the caterpillars usually has little impact . In some cases, the larva grows as a brown caterpillar. For example, tobacco hornworms have seven white diagonal lines with a black border. There are also tiny black setaegroups of bristle-like hairs on its body. Over the last couple of weeks, if you have oak trees, you have probably seen tussock moth caterpillars ( Orgyia spp.). The European Puss caterpillar can be easily identified by its unique look. The caterpillars also have the trait of raising their front end when feeding. The oak leaftier moth is small- about ", yellow with brown . The recognizable feature of an azalea caterpillar is its round orange head and tail section. Description: Recently hatched caterpillars are tiny and black, with two long, whip-like tails. In fact, one green caterpillar species even spits acid! The identifiable features of the black swallowtail are its green body with black, yellow-dotted bands around each of its segments. Fall webworms can come in a wide range of colors. You can find red admiral caterpillars feeding on stinging nettle leaves. How do I get rid of fuzzy caterpillars in Florida? The monarch caterpillar is a type of striped, horned Florida caterpillar that has black, white, and yellow colors. One of the fascinating characteristics of the spicebush swallowtail is the false eyespots on its head that offer protection from predators. The stinging rose moth caterpillar is a colorful venomous caterpillar found along the east coast from New York to Florida. This green larva has an identifiable pointed tail end and an oval head. Look for holes in leaves between a 1/4 to 1 inch in diameter. The black caterpillar has recognizable red bands visible in between sharp spines. Its bright green and yellow colors and black stripes act to ward off predators. An imperial moth caterpillar can be tricky to identify because it can be orange with spiny hairs, green with orange horns, or brown with yellow dots and clumps of spines. As its name suggests, you will often find hackberry emperor caterpillars on hackberry trees. 1987). Tomato hornworms are pale green caterpillars with white and green markings and a protrusion resembling a horn. There a few common caterpillars in Florida (including in Gainesville, Tampa, and Jacksonville) that include: Sod web worms, which are greenish caterpillars that are around three-quarters of an inch when mature. This feeding habit means that small green diamondback moth caterpillar damage on cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflowers can go undetected for some time. The Luna moth (Actias luna) also known as the American moon moth is a Nearctic moth in the family Saturniidae, subfamily Saturniinae, a group commonly known as giant silk moths.It has lime-green colored wings and a white body. The box tree larva is a black, yellow, and green striped caterpillar. Number scored for a state is in green. In Florida, youll find this small, slender black and orange caterpillar munching through Passiflora plant foliage. To identify the cloudless sulphur caterpillar, look for a green body with bluish-black dots, light yellowish short spines, and a yellow lateral band along its sides. Completely dissolve a small amount of organic liquid soap in warm water. Florida and found this instead. Figure 4. The stout caterpillars measure 3 to 4 (7.5 10 cm) long. While we typically associate green, smooth bodies with caterpillars, there are actually different shapes, colors, and unique features. There are a number of tubercles around its body. The brown and white caterpillar grows up to 1.6 (4 cm) long. The mature caterpillars drop off plants and . The fall webworm caterpillar is a yellowish-green worm-like insect with tufts of long, thin hair-like spines. The Copper Underwing caterpillar is a large, fat green caterpillar that looks like a type of hornworm. Partridge peas are among the most common hosts of the caterpillar. Cloudless sulphur caterpillars grow between 1.6 and 1.8 (4 4.5 cm) long. In contrast, the dark furry caterpillars live in colder, northern climates. After emerging from leaves, the tiny green caterpillars munch through the underside of leaves. In addition, there are four tufts of white or yellow hairs on its back and two red dots at its rear end. The oleander hawk moth caterpillar is identified as a large, horned caterpillar that is a vibrant green color with a band of blue and white markings along its side. This is not a true tongue, but osmeterium that resembles a forked snakes tongue. Photograph by Lyle J. Buss, University of Florida. After metamorphosis, the fat, fuzzy green caterpillars turn into spectacular orange or yellow moths with huge eye markings on the wings. The oblong appearance and fuzzy spines make it difficult to identify the head end from its tail end. The larva of the Virginia creeper sphinx moth is a green caterpillar with a large head. Its bright chartreuse color helps to ward off predators. Put on gloves, and look for the fuzzy, black caterpillars on your houseplants. This caterpillar has a characteristic trait of rolling up to defend itself. When under threat, the larvae extend red menacing lashes to ward off other insects. It may also stick out its osmeteria from behind its head to resemble an angry snake. The promethea silkmoth caterpillar is a pale bluish-green fat caterpillar with four conspicuous red rounded horns at its head and a yellow tail. This is one of the more dangerous caterpillars on this list. The larva of the Georgian prominent moth is a large pale green caterpillar with a continuous yellow band along its body. SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - The Florida Department of Health issued an alert for hairy caterpillars. The crawling caterpillar has a slight fuzziness to its appearance. Its unusual habit of rolling leaves around itself earned it the common name bean leafroller. Look for recognizable circular patterns with black and white rings on its green back. The Luna moth caterpillar (Actias luna) is a large species of caterpillar that has a spiky pale green body. The long-tailed skipper caterpillar is a large green slug-like caterpillar with rings of yellow dots around its segments and lateral greenish-yellow green lines running the length of its back. You will also notice two characteristic black long horns at the head end and two shorter horn-like tails. The Cecropia moth caterpillar is a type of large green caterpillar with yellow and blue nodules. Seats together. Main Body Pattern You also have to see the pattern of the caterpillars' body. Usually the caterpillars do not have much effect on the oak trees. Some species of these large caterpillars are green and yellow and others are brown and burgundy. Horace's Duskywing caterpillars are found in the entire Eastern US region on oak trees. Green when young, older caterpillars may be green, brown, or black, sometimes with paler bands along the sides and grow to about 1.5 inch. The black splotches have yellow margins with orange and yellow marks in the center. Even just the slightest touch of these stinging venomous caterpillars can cause a lot of pain that lasts an hour or so. Identifying Characteristics: Painted Lady butterflies have a wingspan of 1.75 to 2.5 inches. Identify a tobacco hornworm by its fat green body with whitish diagonal stripes and tiny eye-like markings on its sides. In some cases, the green caterpillars can completely defoliate boxwood shrubs. American dagger Moth Caterpillar (Acronicta americana). Near the prolegs, you will notice a row of black and yellow dots with white specks. Also called black snout, green cloverworm caterpillars measure between 1 and 1.2 (2.5 3 cm) long. Some less common ones also occur in the state. The red admiral is a spiky black caterpillar that has identifiable fleshy spines and white tiny dots. The best way to identify these green caterpillars is by their colored stripes. The spiny oak slug caterpillar has a green elongated oval body, two orange stripes on its back, black circular patterns, and plumes of venomous spines. Some species ingest toxic substances from plants to give them a bitter taste to any animal that may want to eat them. These make the zebra longwing poisonous and foul-tasting to predators. The honey locust caterpillar is identified by its green body with white dots, red and white line along its sides and two red horns. Eight-Spotted Forester Caterpillar (Alypia octomaculata). Like all swallowtail caterpillars, the Tiger caterpillar emits a foul stench when under threat. Black swallowtail caterpillars are large green larvae with black and yellow stripes around their segments. The Rough Prominent caterpillar is a pale green to turquoise, plump caterpillar with a large, rounded head and tiny black, eye-like markings. Identification of the white admiral caterpillar is by its brownish-olive body with white, uneven blotches on its back and along its sides. In fact, the Cecropia moth that comes from this caterpillar is one of the largest moths in North America. To identify the Io moth caterpillar look for the recognizable tufts of stinging green spines covering the fat, lime-green body with red and white stripes running along its sides. The caterpillars green abdomen is also covered in yellow dots and patterns. The caterpillars are dark brown on the anterior and posterior ends with a contrasting bright green pattern blanketing the dorsal midsection. In addition, the caterpillar has lines of bluish-black tubercles along its sides and back. The rosy maple moth has bright pink and white fuzzy wings with a yellow head and pink antennae. Its yellow color richens as the species grows. The Cloudless Sulphur caterpillar is a green caterpillar with yellow stripes and blue or black dots. In addition, this long caterpillar has bands of small faint green splotches along its back. Sometimes, baby larvae of green caterpillars can look different from mature caterpillars. The spiny oak slug caterpillar is a colorful larva with jagged spikes around its body and four pairs of upward-pointing spiked orange horns. These young caterpillars will molt into large black and yellow-stripped worms with red heads and legs. This unique behavior looks like they jump and then flop. The Cross-Striped Cabbage worm is a striped, green caterpillar with a yellow band, dark green dots, zebra-like markings, fine hairs, and a round brown head. Florida, South Carolina, and Mississippi. As the long-tailed skipper caterpillar matures, its body becomes pale green, and it develops pinkish patterns. There are even tiny spikes on the 4 pairs of prolegs on its central segments. Like many types of caterpillars, the polyphemus moth caterpillars look slightly different in each instar. Some people experience severe reactions to the poison released by the spines and require medical attention. The caterpillars are common in the eastern United States, from Florida to Maine. The giant horned caterpillar has a bluish-green body, curved spiny red horns with black tips, orangey-red head, and black spines on its body. You can identify the giant leopard caterpillar by its sharp black spine and red band around its body. Although it looks like a stinging caterpillar, the banded woolly bear doesnt sting and isnt poisonous. Under the fuzzy yellow hairs is a shiny black oval head. Others experience only an itching or burning sensation. It's a surefire sign that spring is approaching: lime green or yellow. They measure between 1" and 1.2" (2.5 to 3 cm) long. Caterpillars can reach 6.5 cm in length. The eumorpha sphinx caterpillar is an unusual green caterpillar because it has many color variations. The large green oleander hawk caterpillar has pale orange horn at its tail end and blue eyespots. The green Cabbage White Butterfly Caterpillar is commonly found on cruciferous vegetables. The orange-barred sulphur caterpillar is a pale yellow-green caterpillar with two black longitudinal stripes along its back and covered in small fleshy bumps. The body of the Angle Shades Moth Caterpillar can be green or light brown. As its name suggests, tomato hornworms gorge on tomato plant foliage. In addition, tiny white granular spots cover the green caterpillar. To help identify the copper underwing moth caterpillar, look for the large protruding bump at its rear. The tropical caterpillar tends to feed on leguminous plants. Mature bagworms can grow up to 1 (2.5 cm) long. These hairy caterpillars love to munch their way through leaves on walnut, cherry, crabapple, and other deciduous trees. Each segment of their body has a black stripe with yellow dots on it. They are most commonly found in oaks and citrus and have two generations per year, one in the spring and another in the fall. The agent is a bacterium that infects the pests and kills them. Tomato Hornworms are sometimes confused with a related species, the Tobacco Hornworm (Manduca sexta). The four major stinging caterpillars occurring in Florida are the puss caterpillar, saddleback caterpillar, Io moth caterpillar and hag caterpillar. One of the more unusual green caterpillars that turn into elegant beautiful green moths. The Georgian prominent caterpillar has a whitish-green body with a pronounced yellow, red-edged stripe along its sides just above its legs. You can often find this brownish-green caterpillar crawling on sweet peas, honeysuckles, and various deciduous plants. This crawling bright green worm gets its name because it feeds on tomato plants. When the caterpillar pupates, its a large, dark green larva, sometimes with yellowish lines on its sides. This caterpillar species has a variety of colors. The descriptions of different caterpillars in this list are of mature ones before they enter pupation. Red admiral caterpillars grow 1 (2.5 cm) long. Also called the banded sphinx caterpillar, youll often find the larvae feeding on plants in the Oenothera (evening primrose) or Ludwigia species. The caterpillars also go by the name green-striped mapleworm. The common pine sawfly larva is a pale green bug with a black line along its back and a band of black spots along its sides. The caterpillar is one of the most colorful of the green caterpillars. For example, the green caterpillar can have yellow, black, red, white, or orange stripes. The head is surrounded by a pink patch, with false eyes making it look like a giant face. Another defensive mechanism is its defensive organ osmeteriuma forked tongue-like structure that appears behind its head when threatened. Green-bodied fall webworms tend to be found in warmer climates. Most mature ones are brown, maroon or green. Green caterpillars are some of the most commonly recognizable crawling insects in the wild. The polyphemus moth caterpillar grows 3 to 4 (7.6 10 cm) long. Also called the bean leafroller, an identifying feature of the green caterpillar is its black or burgundy globular head and orange patterns at its tail. They still have two thin tails. There are even blue tubercles on the prolegs on its middle section. Oak trees are a host plant for the tussock moth caterpillar. Instead, after pupation, it turns into a brown-winged insect called the common pine sawfly. Like most moth or butterfly larvae, green caterpillars need to gorge on plant food to increase their weight. Pupa- The pupa of the Florida fern caterpillar is reddish-brown and cylindrical, tapering toward the hind end and is 13 to 20 mm long. Tomato Hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata). This appears when the caterpillar is threatened, and it looks like a forked snakes tongue. The plump rough prominent caterpillar has yellow specks and lines along its green segmented body. In Florida, youll often find the white admiral caterpillar feeding on willow, aspen, cherry, and birch trees. You will also notice that the yellow forester moth larvae have spiny tufts on their back and sides. The luna moth caterpillar grows to 3.5 (9 cm) in length. Some caterpillars may have a bluish-green body with tiny black dots on the segments. The plump green caterpillar with its darker head is covered in pale yellow raised bumps, and there are two dotted lines from head to the rear and two spiked tails. The large buck moth caterpillar is among the largest stinging caterpillars in Florida. After the pupal stage, the spiky caterpillar emerges as a small brown hairy moth. Identifying caterpillars in Florida can help to know which species of caterpillars are poisonous and which are harmless. Each of the body segments features black tubercles that look like small round dots. Cabbage looper caterpillars grow up to 1.5" (4 cm). To identify tent worms, look for blackish-brown worm-like caterpillars with blue, black, and yellow lines running lengthwise on their back with an irregular white pattern on each segment. Some of these small fuzzy caterpillars can be pale yellow with black dots, and others can be dark gray with light markings. The azalea caterpillar is a black caterpillar with bright green bands around its plump, smooth body. So besides appearance, consider the type of host plant it's feeding on in order to properly ID the caterpillar. These ravenous feeders are difficult to spot as they are well camouflaged among green foliage. Cabbage looper caterpillars are identifiable by their thin lime-green or yellowish-green body and arching action when moving. In immature cross-striped cabbage caterpillars, look for the distinctive yellow band along its sides, black dots on the segments, and black and white markings on the greenish-white back. The name of these sphinx caterpillars comes from the way they like to raise the front of their body up like the Sphinx in Egypt. The multi-branched spines contain toxins that can sting if they break off in the skin. Rosy maple caterpillars grow up to 2 (5 cm) long and can have a plump green, striped body when mature. The large, fat green Tobacco Hornworm caterpillar has diagonal white stripes with black dots, a row of black and yellow dots along the side, and a horn at its rear that can be green, orange or brown. In addition, some instars of the caterpillar resemble the tobacco hornworm. They are a larger caterpillar and easy to spot on the vine. It also feeds on the spicebush (Lindera benzoin), which gives it its other common name, the spicebush silkmoth caterpillar. long, but grow up to 2 inches (5 cm.) Hickory Horned Devil Caterpillar (Citheronia regalis). Yellow Florida Forester Moth Caterpillar (Zygaenidae). The white flannel moth caterpillar is found f rom Washington, D.C. to Florida and west to Montana and Texas. Other identifying marks of this cigar-shaped larva are thin yellow lines along its back, two orange markings at its tail end, and orange prolegs. The Rustic Sphinx caterpillar (Manduca rustica) is a large bulky looking green species of caterpillar with diagonal white stripes and large horn. Food sources for the caterpillar are varied and numerous. Valid tickets. When a caterpillar is disturbed, it will raise its head and tail to curl backwards in defense. Identify the rough prominent caterpillar by its smooth, fat, green segmented body with yellow speckled markings, a yellowish mid-dorsal line, and a line of red dots near the abdomen. They are destructive caterpillars that feed on soybeans and other legumes. Cross-striped cabbage worms grow between 0.4 and 0.6 (1 1.5 cm) long. Compared to the puss moth, the saddleback caterpillar is much more showy, with a green "saddle" and white outlines covering its . The pale green promethea silkmoth caterpillar is identified by four red horns at its head and yellow horn at the tail. In addition, the ovoid-shaped caterpillar has venomous spiny poison-filled tubercles that can sting. At their rear end, these green caterpillars have a protruding tail that looks like a spike (or horn). Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar (Battus philenor). The caterpillars are generally very large and often green in color, although they almost always have tubercles, spines, or club-like structures. The Virginia creeper sphinx caterpillar is a horned green caterpillar that grows 2 (5 cm) long. The yellow dotted green copper underwing caterpillar has yellow-white line along its sides and humped tail part. The tomato hornworm is around 4 (10 cm) in length from its large head to its horned tail. The rear has a large spiky horn which doesnt sting. Published March 9, 2021 | Updated March 3, 2022 They fall in your hair. These eyespots are yellow or pale green dots with black centers resembling eyes. Others are green or brown with red spots along their sides. The green caterpillar head looks like a mythical dragon with its two long central spiky horns and two shorter peripheral stumpy horns emerging from its flat head. Hornworms Manduca sexta - Tobacco Hornworm Manduca quinquemaculata - Tomato Hornworm Less destructive inchworms have more legs at their rear. The queen butterfly caterpillar is a black and white striped caterpillar with yellow dots on its back and sides. In our experience, the most noxious veggie garden pests in South Florida are caterpillars, aphids, whitefly, snails and leafminers. They have reduced legs and move using a slug-like movement of the underside of the body. Caterpillars hatch, begin to feed, and are full-grown in three to four weeks. The menacing stinging horns at either end of the caterpillar stand at 45. Long-Tailed Skipper Caterpillar (Urbanus proteus). The gray furcula moth caterpillar is easily identified by its green body with dark brown marking on its back and forked tail. The spiny caterpillars can be yellow or orange-red and have a distinctive band of thin purple stripes along their back. Papilio troilus, the spicebush swallowtail or green-clouded butterfly, is a common black swallowtail butterfly found in North America. The pale green caterpillars are found feeding on various types of grass. Identify a white-marked tussock caterpillar by a black body with black and white hairy spines, yellow bands along its back, and a bright cluster of red hairs at its head. You may find them lurking under leaves or crawling along tomato vines. Some features define the Rustic Sphinx Moth caterpillar: It has a horn on top of its head. One of the largest green caterpillars, the Hickory Horned Devil caterpillar can grow up to 6 (15 cm) long. A green caterpillar with black and white dots can be the Genista Broom caterpillar (Uresiphita reversalis). As the plump caterpillars devour plant leaves, they go through various stages called instars. The cloudless sulphur caterpillar is a light green caterpillar with black raised dots producing small spines. Its body looks like a squashed hairy spider with leg-like protrusions of various sizes along its sides. The green Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio glaucus) from the Papiliionidae family is an unusual green caterpillar due to its distinctive markings. The most effective organic control for these green caterpillars on tomatoes is to simply hand pick them. The characteristic trait of this furry caterpillar is a wide rusty brown band around a black body. Its easy to identify a hickory horned devil caterpillar due to its characteristic arched red and black horns, black spiny spikes, and bluish-green appearance. The Six-Spot Burnet caterpillar starts out greenish in color, but as it matures, the portly grub develops a bright yellow body with black spots and fine white fur. Credit: Lyle Buss, UF/IFAS Its stinging spines are clustered together and extend out from the back of the caterpillar's body. Spicebush swallowtail identification is by the two false eyespots on its head, pale green body, and small blue and black dots in a transverse band. The larvae (caterpillars) are also green. One end of the fat segmented body has long spiky red horns with black tips. Diagonal white strips divide this color from the green color on the lower segments. Although the crowned slug caterpillar looks stunning, it can give you a nasty sting if you touch it. However, the yellow type of caterpillar occurs when the fat caterpillars feed on yellow petals. Unknown caterpillars. Finally, when its ready to pupate, the larvae can either be dark brown or dark green. Youll find tobacco hornworms feeding on tomato plants and other nightshade crops. Put 1 tablespoon of liquid dish detergent in a measuring cup. The lightly-colored green ridged body features red or orange spots, some of which sprout small fine black spines. Its easy to identify a monkey slug caterpillar because there is no other insect larva like it.