Caterpillar ID, Frederick County MD - Ask Extension
I work at a summer camp and I found this caterpillar in Frederick County, Maryland. I am having trouble identifying it and thought you might be able t...
Knowledgebase
Caterpillar ID, Frederick County MD #875212
Asked June 29, 2024, 10:28 AM EDT
I work at a summer camp and I found this caterpillar in Frederick County, Maryland. I am having trouble identifying it and thought you might be able to help. Thank you for anything you can offer. Please let me know if the picture is not good enough and I can see about getting multiple angles.
Thank you,
Seth
Frederick County Maryland
Expert Response
Hello Seth,
Caterpillar ID can be challenging since some species change color or form as they progress through the immature stages before they pupate. Host plant can be a very useful trait in narrowing-down which species it is. Did you find the caterpillar on a plant, or wandering around by itself? It might be wandering off to pupate (many caterpillars do), or it was attacked by a predator and dropped, which might explain the dark posterior.
Our best guess based on shape and coloration is that this is a Green-striped Mapleworm (which in its adult form is more commonly called the Rosy Maple Moth). According to the BugGuide database, host plants for this species include "maples (Acer), sycamore (Platanus), beech (Fagus) or oaks (Quercus)."
Miri
Caterpillar ID can be challenging since some species change color or form as they progress through the immature stages before they pupate. Host plant can be a very useful trait in narrowing-down which species it is. Did you find the caterpillar on a plant, or wandering around by itself? It might be wandering off to pupate (many caterpillars do), or it was attacked by a predator and dropped, which might explain the dark posterior.
Our best guess based on shape and coloration is that this is a Green-striped Mapleworm (which in its adult form is more commonly called the Rosy Maple Moth). According to the BugGuide database, host plants for this species include "maples (Acer), sycamore (Platanus), beech (Fagus) or oaks (Quercus)."
Miri
