Caterpillar - type unknown

Dizzydee

I noticed a group of these caterpillars while walking around a lake. I went back the next day spotted another in a different place around the lake and this time I saw butterflies that looked like they could be what the caterpillars will turn into. What do you think of the photo?

Lord Vetinari

Think it looks good- the posted image is a bit small - you really need one at least 800 px on the longest side to look at.

Brian V.

Dizzydee

Lord Vetinari wrote:

Think it looks good- the posted image is a bit small - you really need one at least 800 px on the longest side to look at.

Brian V.

Thanks, I re-sized it. I was having problems with my upload. Here is what I believe to be the butterfly.

Skippy

Dizzydee wrote:

I noticed a group of these caterpillars while walking around a lake. I went back the next day spotted another in a different place around the lake and this time I saw butterflies that looked like they could be what the caterpillars will turn into. What do you think of the photo?

Hi there Dizzydee ........ hmmmm I went through two books I have on bugs and butterflies but cant find that one

Hopefully you'll be able to catch another shot of the Butterfly, and hopefully post a larger image, posting 800x600 shots are far easier to look at than smaller shots

Thanks for sharing....... Skippy
.

pete w

Gulf Fritillary caterpillar.
You can check out this link

http://www.centralfloridagarden.com/images/butterfly/fritillary1.html

pete w

This is the butterfly.


Not my photo.

Copied from
http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg286.html

Dizzydee

Thank you so much. I now know that they are Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars. I also now know that a flower I saw that same day I thought looked unusual was a Maypop or Passion Flower. It looked like it was one of those alien plant getting ready to infect any nearby fools. Here is the photo I took of it.

bsewall

Some Help on Caterpillars
I was pleased to see that one of the pictures from my web site (www.centralfloriidagarden.com) was posted on this thread. It was a weird site seeing 20 - 30 Gulf Fritillary caterpillars simultaneously munching on the Passion Flower vine in my Butterfly Garden. I couldn't resist taking a picture to record the orgy.
Here's a picture of a Gulf Fritillary butterfly that likely was once one of the caterpillars in the original picture:

If you need help in the future identifying caterpillars, there is a great website that does exactly what its name says: http://www.whatsthiscaterpillar.co.uk/america/index.htm.