Caterpillars?
Question:i have orange caterpillars and black ones eating my sunflower.they appear to have a little tufts on them i think.I would like to know whether these are butterfly caterpillars or pests.i have not seen any cocoons so far but they are very tiny.thank you
Answers:
caterpillars go through different stages as they mature. If they are very small, it is possible they are only in the juvenile stage and will look different as they grow. To really answer your question, I would need a picture, and to know what area of the country you are in. Here are a few possibilities that match your description:
1. Pipevine Swallowtail
2.Phoebus Parnassian
3.Baltimore
4. Mourning Cloak
My best advice, however, would be to go to the following website at which you can interactively search for your particular caterpillar: http://www.whatsthiscaterpillar.co.uk/am...
It really provides a tremendous amount of help in identification.
Best of luck!
Ben
No, Some caterpillars grow into beetles, such as the potatoe beetle, which, when in the immature stage, are orange such as you have described, and yes, there are pest caterpillars, most that are found in the garden are pest caterpillars, since they eat precious vegetable matter!
Check out the web, there are tons of resources to look into garden info!!
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