Ceibatree

2025 Caterpillar Season – Hummingbird Clearwing

2025 Caterpillar Season, Backyard Gardens, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

Hummingbird Clearwing
Hemaris thysbe fam. Sphingidae (Hodges#7853)
Host plant: Found on nannyberry (Viburnum lentago)
Date found: 23, Aug, 2025
Location found: Backyard of our subdivision home
Notes: From what I’ve read and my minimal experience, this species’ caterpillars spend their days on the ground in the leaf litter and only come up to their host vegetation during the night. I found this one around midnight feeding on my nannyberry.

Edit – 21-Sep-25: I brought this guy in to rear on the back porch and on 16-September, I found the adult moth flying in the cage. After cooling it down a little to take some photos, I let it go into the backyard. See photos below.

2025 Caterpillar Season – Cherry Dagger

2025 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, WGNSS Field Trips, wildlife, wildlife photography

Cherry Dagger
Acronicta hasta fam. Noctuidae (Hodges#9229)
Host plant: Two individuals at different instars were found at this location and date – both on black cherry (Prunus serotina)
Date found: 16, Aug, 2025
Location found: Council Bluff Lake, Iron County, MO
Notes: This was found during the WGNSS joint Entomology and Nature Photography Groups’ outing to Council Bluff Lake.

2025 Caterpillar Season – Imperial Moth

2025 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, WGNSS Field Trips, wildlife, wildlife photography

Imperial Moth
Eacles imperialis fam. Saturniidae (Hodges#7704)
Host plant: Three individuals found at this date and location: 2-redbud (Cercis canadensis), 1-sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Date found: 16, Aug, 2025
Location found: Council Bluff Lake, Iron County, MO
Notes: This was found during the WGNSS joint Entomology and Nature Photography Groups’ outing to Council Bluff Lake.

2025 Caterpillar Season – The Hebrew

2025 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, WGNSS Field Trips, wildlife, wildlife photography

The Hebrew
Polygrammate hebraeicum fam. Noctuidae (Hodges#9285)
Host plant: black gum (Nyssa sylvatica)
Date found: 16, Aug, 2025
Location found: Council Bluff Lake, Iron County, MO
Notes: Common and specific names come from apparent resemblance of adult moth’s pattern to Hebrew characters. This was found during the WGNSS joint Entomology and Nature Photography Groups’ outing to Council Bluff Lake.

2025 Caterpillar Season – Radcliffe’s Dagger

2025 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

Radcliffe’s Dagger
Acronicta radcliffei fam. Noctuidae (Hodges#9209)
Host plant: black cherry (Prunus serotina)
Date found: 16, 25, Aug, 2025
Location found: Cuivre River State Park, Lincoln County, MO; Council Bluff Lake, Iron County, MO
Notes: The final instar pictured here is dramatically different than earlier instars.

2025 Caterpillar Season – Question Mark

2025 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, WGNSS Field Trips, wildlife photography

Question Mark
Polygonia interrogationis fam. Nymphalidae (Hodges#4420)
Host plant: NA
Date found: 16, Aug, 2025
Location found: Council Bluff Lake, Iron County, MO
Notes: Two individuals found at this date and location. One was found on sassafras and the other on redbud. Typical hostplants include elm and hackberry. One individual pupated in contained overnight, further suggesting that both were pre-pupal and collected on plants during wandering. This was found during the WGNSS joint Entomology and Nature Photography Groups’ outing to Council Bluff Lake.

2025 Caterpillar Season – Pandora Sphinx

2025 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, WGNSS Field Trips, wildlife, wildlife photography

Pandora Sphinx
Eumorpha pandorus fam. Sphingidae (Hodges#7859)
Host plant: Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Date found: 16, Aug, 2025
Location found: Council Bluff Lake, Iron County, MO
Notes: During its final instar, this sphinx caterpillar loses its horn and is replaced with a button (not pictured). This was found during the WGNSS joint Entomology and Nature Photography Groups’ outing to Council Bluff Lake.

2025 Caterpillar Season – Red-spotted Purple

2025 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

Red-spotted Purple
Limenitis arthemis astyanax fam. Nymphalidae (Hodges#4522)
Host plant: Found on black cherry (Prunus serotina)
Date found: 02, Aug, 2025
Location found: Trail of Tears State Park, Lincoln County, MO
Notes: Three caterpillars of this species were found at this date and location.

Here is another case of very similar caterpillars between two closely related species. The first clue to identity should be the host plant. In our region, Limenitis arthemis astyanax host primarily on black cherry (Prunus serotina), while Limenitis archippus (Viceroy) host primarily on willows (Salix sp.).

Caterpillars of L. arthemis astyanax are visually similar to those of , L. archippus although adults of these two species are very dissimilar. However, there are visual cues that can be used to tell them apart. Caterpillars of L. arthemis astyanax are generally less spiny, the humps over dorsum at A2 are larger and the “antlers” are more clubbed than the viceroy.

2025 Caterpillar Season – Brown Panopoda

2025 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, WGNSS Field Trips, wildlife, wildlife photography

Brown Panopoda
Panopoda carneicosta fam. Erebidae (Hodges#8588)
Host plant: Found on hickory (Carya sp.)
Date found: 09, 16, 23 Aug, 2025
Location found: BK Leach Conservation Area, Lincoln County, MO; Council Bluff Lake, Iron County, MO; Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: With information I have, there appears to be no easy methods to discern between larvae of Panopoda carneicosta and P. rufimargo (red-lined panopoda). However, there is suppose to be distinct differences in host preferences, with P. carneicosta showing strong preferences for hickory and other members of Juglandaceae, while P. rufimardo reportedly feed on oak and beech (Fagaceae). My identification is based on the host plants on which the cats were found.

2025 Caterpillar Season – Red-humped Caterpillar Moth

2025 Caterpillar Season, insects, Lepidoptera, macro, WGNSS Field Trips, wildlife, wildlife photography

Red-humped Caterpillar Moth
Oedemasia concinna fam. Notodontidae (Hodges#8010)
Host plant: Found on redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Date found: 16, Aug, 2025
Location found: Council Bluff Lake, Iron County, MO
Notes: Shown in defensive posture with tail raised above its head. This was found during the WGNSS joint Entomology and Nature Photography Groups’ outing to Council Bluff Lake.