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Wisconsin Native Caterpillars

American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) caterpillar

Orange Sulphur Caterpillar

Genus-Species: Colias eurytheme

Description: Caterpillars are grass green with a multicolored stripe along the lower edges of the body. The upper stripe is white followed by red/pink, white, and finally black. Clouded Sulphur caterpillars are so similar that they cannot be reliably separated in the field.

Chrysalis: The chrysalis is green with yellow and black dashes.

Host Plants: Plants in the pea family (Fabaceae) including alfalfa (Medicago sativa), white clover (Trifolium repens), and white sweet clover (Melilotus alba).

Habitat: A wide variety of open sites, especially clover and alfalfa fields, mowed fields, vacant lots, meadows, road edges.

Comments: Caterpillars are grass green with a multicolored stripe along the lower edges of the body. The upper stripe is white followed by red/pink, white, and finally black.

Adult Orange Sulphur Butterfly Profile
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Caterpillar Quiz

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.

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