Arizona Caterpillar Species

Sphinx Moths

• Sphinx moths are extremely common in Arizona; nearly four dozen species have been found in the state. Adult sphinx moths feed on a wide variety of flowering plants, but their large caterpillars are most familiar to vegetable gardeners. The tomato hornworm, a large green caterpillar with a green spike on its posterior end and white stripes on its sides, and the tobacco hornworm, a similar caterpillar with a red posterior spike, feed on tomato and pepper plants. The caterpillars bury themselves in the soil before turning into pupae.

Silkmoths

• Several species of silkmoth can be found in Arizona. The oculea silkmoth is a wide-ranging example, making its home from southern Arizona north to the Grand Canyon. The moth's caterpillar is brightly colored, with a bright green body, yellow to red-orange head and tufts of black hairs sprouting from orange bases. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of oak and walnut trees, and, in preparation for metamorphosis, spin large silky cocoons in the trees.

Swallowtail Butterflies

• More than a dozen species of swallowtail butterflies make their home in Arizona, and their caterpillars are commonly found throughout the state. Many swallowtail caterpillars are large and attractive, with colorful patterns of spots or spikes. The caterpillar of the giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes), however, survives by being unappealing. Dining primarily on the leaves and new shoots of citrus trees, the gray-brown, splotchy caterpillars look very much like bird droppings, a disguise that helps them avoid the notice of predators.

Brushfoot Butterflies

• Over two dozen species of brushfoot butterflies from the family Nymphalidae are residents of Arizona. The red admiral is one of the most common of the brushfoots, ranging from Central America north into Canada and over much of the United States. The red admiral caterpillar is a dark gray-black color with a yellow stripe along its sides and short spikes across its back. The caterpillars eat the leaves of plants in the nettle family.