Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) young larva as found on White Ash leaf.
Backus Woods, Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada.
July 12, 2013.
Photographs and Text © Jay Cossey, PhotographsFromNature.com (PFN).
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Tags: Backus Woods Butterfly caterpillar Insecta larva Lepidoptera (Butterflies Moths) Norfolk Co Ontario Photographer: Jay Cossey Swallowtail
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Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) young larva on White Ash leaf.
Backus Woods, Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada.
July 12, 2013.
This first instar Tiger Swallowtail larva, approximately 1/4 inch long. Unlike the Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar (previous on my Photostream), while it does spin a silken pad on the leaf, it does not fold the leaf to create a shelter. Instead, it sits in plain sight on the upperside of the leaf, disguised as a bird dropping.
You can see by the bulb-shaped head, that this individual is getting ready to shed its skin. The old skin covering the caterpillar's head has been outgrown, causing it to slide forward and out of the way of the growing caterpillar. A new, expanded layer of skin has already grown behind it. I suspect in a day or so, this old skin will be shed.
Some caterpillars eat the skin they shed, partly to destroy the evidence, and partly because it contains nutrients that can be reclaimed by the caterpillar.
A few weeks ago, I posted photos of early instar Giant Swallowtail caterpillars. They look very similar to Tigers at this stage. Eastern Tiger caterpillars are known to feed on the leaves of several species of woody trees and shrubs. Here in southwestern Ontario, my father and I have found them feeding on Cherry, Lilac, White Ash, Tulip Tree and Hop Tree.
Photographs and Text © Jay Cossey, PhotographsFromNature.com (PFN).
All rights reserved. Licensing available.
Contact: Jay Cossey, PhotographsFromNature@gmail.com
Tags: Backus Woods Butterfly caterpillar Insecta larva Lepidoptera (Butterflies Moths) Norfolk Co Ontario Photographer: Jay Cossey Swallowtail
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Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) young caterpillar.
Stark County, Ohio, USA.
August 27, 2005.
Another excellent imitation of bird poop! This early instar Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar hides in plain sight, on the middle of a Tulip Tree leaf. They typically only feed at night.
Interestingly, Tiger Swallowtail caterpillars are dark brown when they first hatch out of their egg, after a few moults, their skin is a beautiful shade of green. When they're fully grown and ready to pupate, their skin turns dark brown again, but without the cream-coloured "saddle".
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Tags: Butterfly caterpillar Insecta larva Lepidoptera (Butterflies Moths) Ohio Photographer: Jay Cossey Swallowtail Uniontown Macro Photography
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Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) 1st instar caterpillar, as found, on Hop tree (aka Wafer Ash).
Point Pelee National Park, Essex County, Ontario, Canada.
June 21, 2013.
Many of the Swallowtail caterpillars here in North America look very similar to this in their early instars--dark brown to black with a cream or white "saddle". These Swallowtail caterpillars don't hide, but rest on the upper surface of their foodplant during the day. Their colour pattern is an effective costume that resembles a bird dropping. Something no bird would recognize as a potential food source. Note the lilac/lavender coloured spots on this one.
You can clearly see the silken pad the caterpillar has spun. This provides a firm grip on an otherwise slippery surface.
This individual appears to be preparing to shed its skin--even more reason to need a firm grasp.
All Photographs and Text © Jay Cossey, PhotographsFromNature.com (PFN).
All rights reserved. Licensing available.
Contact: Jay Cossey, PhotographsFromNature@gmail.com
Tags: Butterfly Insecta Lepidoptera (Butterflies Moths) Ontario Photographer: Jay Cossey Point Pelee Swallowtail Macro Photography Giant Swallowtail Papilio cresphontes Larva Caterpillar Essex Co
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Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) caterpillar, as found, on Hop tree (aka Wafer Ash).
Point Pelee National Park, Essex County, Ontario, Canada.
June 21, 2013.
This is the typical mid-day resting behaviour of a young Giant Swallowtail caterpillar: hiding in plain view on a silken pad, confident that it looks enough like bird poop to fool predators. Some caterpillars avoid resting on leaves they've munched on, so as not to draw attention to themselves.
All Photographs and Text © Jay Cossey, PhotographsFromNature.com (PFN).
All rights reserved. Licensing available.
Contact: Jay Cossey, PhotographsFromNature@gmail.com
Tags: Butterfly Insecta Lepidoptera (Butterflies Moths) Ontario Photographer: Jay Cossey Point Pelee Swallowtail Hop Tree Wafer Ash Giant Swallowtail Papilio cresphontes Caterpillar Larva In situ Essex Co
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