Wisconsin Native Caterpillars
Dainty Sulphur Caterpillar
Genus-Species: Nathalis iole
Description: Green with thin yellow stripes.
Sometimes rosy-purple stripes are present.
Chrysalis: Small and green. Head is rounded
rather than pointed.
Host Plants: Low-growing plants in the aster
family (Asteraceae) especially shepherd's needle (Bidens pilosa), sneezeweed (Helenium),
fetid marigold (Dyssodia), and cultivated marigold (Tagetes).
Habitat: Open, dry places including coastal
flats, weedy fields, grasslands, road edges, meadows, and hillsides.
Comments: Caterpillar ranges up to 5/-inch,
dark green with purple stripes on its back, and parallel black and yellow stripes on
the side
Caterpillars come in many colors, shapes, and sizes. Some caterpillars are quite hairy,
while others are smooth. Despite differences between species, though, all caterpillars
share certain morphological features.
Take this quick quiz and see how much you know about caterpillars. This quiz is intended for fun, in
a random-facts-can-be-cool kind of way.
How does this magic happen? Learn about metamorphosis - the process of transformation from an
immature form to an adult bitterfly.