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Euchaetes egle
This caterpillar sported wild tufts of black, white, and orange hairs (setae), which are characteristic warning colors.. The head was black.
Spotted on milkweed in a meadow.
As with monarch larvae, milkweed tiger moth caterpillars obtain cardiac glycosides from the milkweed that they feed on, and they continue to retain them as adults. But, while the milkweed tiger moth caterpillars have the bold warning colors of orange and black, the adult moth is drab and brown. Usually, you would expect the adults to also have bright warning colors just as the larvae do in order to scare off potential predators. However, the cardiac glycosides stored in the body of the moth are still put to good use, but in an unusual way. The milkweed tiger moth has an organ that emits an ultrasonic signal, which is easily detected by bats. The signal somehow warns that an attack will be rewarded with a noxious distasteful meal, and bats thus soon learn to avoid these tiger moths as potential prey.
9 Comments
Your welcome, Christine...
Very interesting Jose, thanks for your comment. After reading your description of the pupae, I had to look up a picture! Very cool how they use their setae. Thanks for the info :)
I know these guys as the milkweed tiger moth and they can also be spotted on dog bane which is very similar to milkweed. When I would cultivate milkweed for monarchs, I would find these guys in there too and decided to rear them as well. it's weird how they pupate as I am used to butterfly caterpillars molting into a chrysalis, or other moths spinning silk around them, these guys simply rip their hair out and use that as well as silk for their cocoon.
Your welcome, Christine Y.
Thank you :)
A beautiful caterpillar, and a beautiful photo....Both are a masterpiece of beauty....
Your welcome, Christine Y. Your caterpillar, is a very beautiful caterpillar... I also love there wild "hair"....
Thanks maplemoth662, I agree. I love their wild "hair".
A beautiful caterpillar....