Help me help this caterpillar, please!
January 29, 2023 11:17 AM Subscribe
I have accidentally acquired a viceroy caterpillar. Help me let it live!
A friend brought over some outside plotted plants for me to babysit for a while, and a viceroy caterpillar was sitting on a leaf of a potted lemon tree. The plants had previously been inside a storage unit for a couple of weeks (so full darkness + stable temp). Now the lemon tree is sitting in my backyard. Should I just let the caterpillar sit there?
While we were moving the plants, I had the caterpillar on a leaf in my hand. He was active and moving around. I put him back on the lemon tree once we had the pot in place, and now he basically hasn't moved at all in almost 24 hours. He's sitting on top of a leaf.
Temps range from low 40s to mid 50s, and it's going to rain later today, and get into the mid 30s later this week.
What should I do? Assume I have no special knowledge and no particular supplies on hand outside of regular house stuff.
(Also it's totally possible this is a different kind of caterpillar, but I'm basically going off the internet + "it looks like bird shit" + apparently they do specifically like to sit on top of leaves in order to more look like bird shit)
A friend brought over some outside plotted plants for me to babysit for a while, and a viceroy caterpillar was sitting on a leaf of a potted lemon tree. The plants had previously been inside a storage unit for a couple of weeks (so full darkness + stable temp). Now the lemon tree is sitting in my backyard. Should I just let the caterpillar sit there?
While we were moving the plants, I had the caterpillar on a leaf in my hand. He was active and moving around. I put him back on the lemon tree once we had the pot in place, and now he basically hasn't moved at all in almost 24 hours. He's sitting on top of a leaf.
Temps range from low 40s to mid 50s, and it's going to rain later today, and get into the mid 30s later this week.
What should I do? Assume I have no special knowledge and no particular supplies on hand outside of regular house stuff.
(Also it's totally possible this is a different kind of caterpillar, but I'm basically going off the internet + "it looks like bird shit" + apparently they do specifically like to sit on top of leaves in order to more look like bird shit)
Response by poster: A little googling is telling me it might actually be a giant swallowtail caterpillar, which also looks like bird poop, and also likes citrus plants, so in that case it might be happy on the lemon tree? But should I still bring a branch inside with it on top of a leaf?
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:50 PM on January 29, 2023
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:50 PM on January 29, 2023
Can you post a picture of it next to a ruler or quarter to show its size? Young caterpillars can look quite a bit different from older caterpillars. If you want to feed it, you need to know what species it is.
Those temperatures are too cold. It might have stopped moving because of the cold temperature. They will also stop moving a few times when they shed their skin or before they become a chrysalis. They use their silk to secure themselves to a surface during these times and it is important to not move them.
Caterpillars will wander off to find safe places to shed their skins and they will wander quite far in search of a food plant or to find a spot to change into a chrysalis. Keep that in mind if you bring it inside.
posted by Blue Genie at 3:41 PM on January 29, 2023
Those temperatures are too cold. It might have stopped moving because of the cold temperature. They will also stop moving a few times when they shed their skin or before they become a chrysalis. They use their silk to secure themselves to a surface during these times and it is important to not move them.
Caterpillars will wander off to find safe places to shed their skins and they will wander quite far in search of a food plant or to find a spot to change into a chrysalis. Keep that in mind if you bring it inside.
posted by Blue Genie at 3:41 PM on January 29, 2023
Response by poster: Picture showing size.
posted by BlahLaLa at 3:52 PM on January 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by BlahLaLa at 3:52 PM on January 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Okay, it might be an orangedog caterpillar. I'm going to bring him inside with some lemon leaves, but I for sure need some hints about the best way to keep him.
posted by BlahLaLa at 3:57 PM on January 29, 2023
posted by BlahLaLa at 3:57 PM on January 29, 2023
Response by poster: The current situation. The clippings are from the two lemon trees that he arrived with. Both had signs of being chewed...though I don't know if it was him.
posted by BlahLaLa at 4:14 PM on January 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by BlahLaLa at 4:14 PM on January 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Does it have dark colored horns in front of its head?
Giant swallowtail caterpillars have hidden red/orange antennae that they stick out when they are startled and might give off a strong smell.
On preview, it looks like a giant swallowtail caterpillar which would make sense if you found it on citrus.
I used to raise black swallowtail caterpillars in an old aquarium with a screen lid. I would fill a small jar with water, cover the top with foil, and make small holes to stick in stems from their food plants. It mostly worked, but occasionally a caterpillar would get past the foil and drown. Using something like a floral tube might work better or you could put in fresh leaves often and not use any water. They prefer fresher, younger leaves and once they start eating they can be reluctant to switch to another species of food plant, so stick to lemon if you can. You could use a big jar and put cheesecloth over the top to keep it from wandering off. Put in at least one pencil sized stick leaning against the side of the jar for when it makes a chrysalis.
Googling is telling me that the caterpillar stage lasts 3-4 weeks. I haven't ever seen a giant swallowtail caterpillar but I'm guessing based on the picture that your caterpillar is 1-2 weeks old.
posted by Blue Genie at 5:07 PM on January 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
Giant swallowtail caterpillars have hidden red/orange antennae that they stick out when they are startled and might give off a strong smell.
On preview, it looks like a giant swallowtail caterpillar which would make sense if you found it on citrus.
I used to raise black swallowtail caterpillars in an old aquarium with a screen lid. I would fill a small jar with water, cover the top with foil, and make small holes to stick in stems from their food plants. It mostly worked, but occasionally a caterpillar would get past the foil and drown. Using something like a floral tube might work better or you could put in fresh leaves often and not use any water. They prefer fresher, younger leaves and once they start eating they can be reluctant to switch to another species of food plant, so stick to lemon if you can. You could use a big jar and put cheesecloth over the top to keep it from wandering off. Put in at least one pencil sized stick leaning against the side of the jar for when it makes a chrysalis.
Googling is telling me that the caterpillar stage lasts 3-4 weeks. I haven't ever seen a giant swallowtail caterpillar but I'm guessing based on the picture that your caterpillar is 1-2 weeks old.
posted by Blue Genie at 5:07 PM on January 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Morning update: he definitely ate some of a lemon leaf last night, so that's good news. I have him in a plastic food storage cylinder with a cloth over the top, secured with a rubber band. Will now accept any and all tips on how to keep him happy inside. I have a bunch of leaves on small branches in there, and I suppose I can put fresh leaves in every couple of days. The container is narrow so not easy to get my hands in and out of there, but I suppose I can just keep it to the bare minimum.
posted by BlahLaLa at 8:23 AM on January 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by BlahLaLa at 8:23 AM on January 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
Ask these folks, they are in the caterpillar education business:
https://www.thecaterpillarlab.org
posted by Hobgoblin at 7:33 AM on January 31, 2023 [1 favorite]
https://www.thecaterpillarlab.org
posted by Hobgoblin at 7:33 AM on January 31, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Well we are raising a butterfly, I guess. Don't have a good pic but our child is in his chrysalis, in my kitchen.
posted by BlahLaLa at 12:28 PM on February 28, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 12:28 PM on February 28, 2023 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
If it's tiny, it may have been living on the nutrition from its egg, so it might be doomed already.
If you want to fully commit, you could get a big Critter Keeper, cut a small branch from the tree, put a light on it, and watch the caterpillar go to town. The tree needs the light, so the leaves are probably juicer/more nutritious now, but the caterpillar definitely needs warmer temperatures to live.
BUT - if you nurture that caterpillar all the way to adulthood, and other similar larva aren't in the same life stage, you might end up with a butterfly that has no food sources out in the wild. Since you're in LA, though, you might be OK: "Adult viceroys nectar on milkweeds, thistles, and other common flowers."
So - I'd check with a local extension service or university entomologist, botanical garden, or maybe someone on iNaturalist that has a lot of observations of this butterfly logged.
Honestly, if I had to guess, I'd suppose that this was an egg laid in expectation of cold weather, that then met warmer temperatures in storage.
Imaginary children's book title: "The Little Lonely Caterpillar". Theme of book: "Even if you don't live the life everyone expects, you can have an extraordinary life that no one expects!"
One other thought: If you decide to bring it in with a branch,
Is there any chance the plant was sprayed with anything recently / when your friend moved it?
posted by amtho at 1:39 PM on January 29, 2023