“What is this?” asks this reader in Bedford, Virginia. His question pertains to the little black “caterpillar-like insect that seems to be invading [his] home each fall.”
Although our reader does not provide any extra context, we can guess, based on the image alone, that this insect is a caterpillar hunter larva. So, while our reader was correct in identifying this as an insect, it is merely caterpillar-like, but not an actual caterpillar. This is because the caterpillar hunter larva is a beetle larva, and, as its name suggests, actually hunts caterpillars.
The caterpillar hunter is originally from central Europe and Asia but was purposefully introduced to the United States. Their preferred habitats include the underside of rocks, leaves, logs, and all kinds of organic debris. As caterpillar hunters are nocturnal, they will spend the better part of the day hiding in these spots before coming out at night to prowl for food.
Like their adult counterparts, the larvae eat the caterpillars (and pupae) of other insects. Yet, unlike the adult beetle, the larva is not nocturnal, but will hunt all day and night. During their two-week period of ‘larva-hood’, the larvae will eat up to 50 caterpillars! What is even more amazing is that the beetle can live up to four years and will eat hundreds of caterpillars within that time.
Caterpillar hunter larvae are not harmful to humans or pets, so our reader needs not worry on that front. The most that the beetles can do is bite, but they will not cause any serious, long-term harm. In fact, their presence is environmentally beneficial, as they help control gypsy moth populations by eating their larvae. For context, gypsy moth caterpillars are defoliators and can cause significant damage to trees.
Additionally, there over 160 species of caterpillar hunter beetles. Most of them are black in color, though there are also those that have a green or blue metallic shine to their shells.
To conclude, it is our opinion that the caterpillar-like insects our reader found are actually caterpillar hunter larvae. As they are harmless, we suggest that he simply move the larvae outside. We hope this article helps and we wish him the very best.
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