Last week, when I was on the bike trail, I came across a ton of mourning cloak caterpillars. They were trying to cross the path, some made it, some got squished by unknowing bike riders. I tried to take some home, I fit as many as I could in my little pouch and brought them home to our butterfly ranch…I ended up with 14.
They are a cool little caterpillar, dark with a bit of blue and red spots down their back. And check out those wicked spikes to discourage you from eating them. As I was getting my butterfly ranch set up for my mourning cloak caterpillars and taking a photos, a friend on Facebook posted photos of some pest caterpillars in his trees, wondering if anyone had suggestions to get rid of them. He had contacted a pest control company who told him they were gypsy moth caterpillars and would kill his tree. I looked at the photos and the caterpillars were not gypsy moth caterpillars, they were mourning cloak caterpillars, just like mine.
I sent a desperate plea to my Facebook friend to not exterminate the caterpillars, they were not invasive, exotic caterpillars, they were native and would not destroy his tree. I was irritated that a pest control company couldn’t tell the difference. I don’t blame my friend for being confused…these caterpillars have some similar habits and if you are unfamiliar with mourning cloaks, I could see how you would be worried for your tree.
Gypsy moths feed in large groups. Mourning cloak caterpillars also remain in one large group after hatching from their eggs and feed together as caterpillars. If you ever come across a cluster and disturb them, they’ll shake and vibrate en masse. Their voracious appetites may denude a branch, but they will not kill the tree. Once they are full grown, the who group leaves the tree at about the same time and heads off to form their chrysalis to turn into a butterfly.
My friend ended up leaving his caterpillars alone and they moved on to pupate, but I do wonder now how many unknowing people have mourning cloak caterpillars experminated?
Mine have all taken to the J-position and are forming their chrysalises. Hopefully, I will have photos of lots these gorgeous black butterflies to show later this summer.
Excellent post! Using a simple”black fuzzy caterpillar with red spots” diagnosis isn’t enough. Unfortunately I do have the real deal and they are more fuzzy than spikey. Since they don’t really stay up all night singing and dancing and playing tambourines as I had feared it takes a little more attention to identify them.
Those are some cool little guys. Kind of look like they’re wearing tweed or something.
That top photo is great–better than in the field guides. I think I have seen these before. I will be on a look out for them. Now I just have to remember your blog when I come across them.
Great information.
Too often people reaction to caterpillars with the urge to crush em.
But they’d never react to the butterfly or moth that same way.
The spikes indeed work; I AM discouraged from eating them
Admirable to come to the defense of these little fellas who can do little to defend themselves. People, in general, are not educated much about Nature and how it survives. It is a dependency system and the only education most get is from the television ads by chemical companies about some new spray that eliminates pests but you have to have Sherlock Holmes’ spyglass to read the fine print. It kills nearly everything it touches in one way or another and that is sad that companies employing millions of people can get away with it.
I am happy for you and those you protect. You need to do more recruiting and shore up our numbers.
I found a bunch of those cool looking caterpillars at work today. Nobody knew what that was, so I looked up online. Lo and behold, those are mourning cloaks caterpillars! Thanks to your great photos, I hope to see them as butterflies. Happy Trails to you!
Hi I have two caterpillars in a jar for my kids, they sound the same but they are fuzzy not spikey. they have both the red and blue spots. Is this just a variation of the same thing or not? We are hoping to keep them until they become adults.
We have the fuzzy version as well. They are FAST! We have seen them on a rotting maple, but not in big groups. We also had a few drop onto a black coat while sitting near the edge of an a stand of oak and maple trees. Could this “mourning . . .” type really be the same one? Bel and Ike