Rich
Junior Member
Posts: 44
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Post by Rich on Jan 6, 2011 17:23:40 GMT -8
Found this caterpillar at Point Reyes, Calif. in June and have not been able to ID it.
Richard
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Post by obewan on Jan 6, 2011 19:04:41 GMT -8
Looks like a Hemilucae species!
obe
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Post by Chris Grinter on Jan 8, 2011 22:54:11 GMT -8
I wouldn't call this a Hemileuca at all - more Noctuid/Erebid type to me. It's also feeding on a Lupine - the closest Hemileuca populations feed on Ceanothus and Mountain Mahogany (amongst other things like Salix even...).
I'm guessing you didn't rear? Nice photo.
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Post by saturniidave on Jan 9, 2011 9:17:10 GMT -8
Arctiid?
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Post by Chris Grinter on Jan 10, 2011 15:09:49 GMT -8
Kinda looks like one - but knowing CA arctiids I can't place it (but I don't rear them so I could be missing something obvious).
It's not a Lophocampa, Grammia, Platyprepia or Spilosoma... too big to be a Lithosiinae. I'm going to have to keep an eye out on Lupines for something like this!
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Post by admin on Jan 10, 2011 15:35:18 GMT -8
But was it actually EATING the lupine? Capterpillars do wander off from their host plant occasionally. This looks like Hemileuca to me.
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Rich
Junior Member
Posts: 44
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Post by Rich on Jan 11, 2011 16:20:01 GMT -8
Hello Chris,
I found two of these caterpillars feeding on lupine and did try to rear them. I must have let them dry out and they never did emerge. They made cocoons using the webbing of the BioQuip cage I was using. I had them for about a two weeks before they made their cocoons, they feed on lupine during that time.
Rich
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Post by admin on Jan 11, 2011 19:44:42 GMT -8
That is important! From what I understand, Hemileucas pupate on or under the ground. If your cocoons were off the floor of the cage and on the upper reaches of the cage, that would probably eliminate Hemileuca. Can you describe the cocoons and where in the cage they were affixed?
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Post by admin on Jan 11, 2011 19:58:04 GMT -8
But on the other hand, a typical Hemileuca like nutalli has a wholly different spine pattern than your larvae. The spines of this one look like minature trees. Yours all orginate from one point. I'm leaning away from Hemileuca now.  Attachments:
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Rich
Junior Member
Posts: 44
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Post by Rich on Jan 12, 2011 8:33:42 GMT -8
::)Hello Clark, I believe saturniidave may be right, they are some type of Arctiid. They made cocoons on the top of the cage, eating holes in my cage and using the netting to make the cocoons, see picture. I will go back this June and try collecting them again. A caterpillar this large should be easy to ID. Richard Attachments:
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Post by Chris Grinter on Jan 12, 2011 9:29:33 GMT -8
I sent this image over to Jerry Powell to see if he would recognize it. He did not, but suggested perhaps an Arctiid as well.
It also strikes me like an Acronicta type...
Pupation spot may not be super reliable. You're correct that Hemileuca do pupate on the ground, but I've found that occasionally a few wonder up to the top of my cage and pupate there.
I'll have to keep my eye out for these as well; Richard if you're going up to that area we should combine forces (I'm in berkeley).
Chris
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