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Wisconsin Native Caterpillars

American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) caterpillar

Pearl Crescent Caterpillar

Genus-Species: Phyciodes tharos

Description: Dark brown to charcoal gray with lateral cream stripes and many short, branched spines

Chrysalis: Mottled brown, tan,or gray brown.

Host Plants: Several species of smooth-leaved true asters including Aster pilosus, A. texanus, and A. laevis.

Habitat: Open areas such as pastures, road edges, vacant lots, fields, open pine woods.

Comments: Caterpillars are blackish-brown with a cream-yellow stripe down their sides and blackish to yellowish branched spines covering their bodies.

Adult Pearl Crescent Butterfly Profile
Bog Fritillary, Boloria eunomia
Caterpillar Anatomy: A Tutorial

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.

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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.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus
How Caterpillars Change Into Butterflies

How does this magic happen? Learn about metamorphosis - the process of transformation from an immature form to an adult bitterfly.

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