One of our readers discovered several caterpillars in his home recently. This is what one of them looks like:

This particular creature was discovered crawling up the wall towards the ceiling. Two days prior to this discovery he found a “big fat green caterpillar” and a “small thin caterpillar” on his couch. We don’t know if all of these caterpillars are somehow tied together, or if finding so many over the span of a week is just a coincidence. Since we don’t have photos or detailed descriptions of the fat and thin caterpillars he found, we won’t weigh in on what they are. We do have some ideas about the photographed fellow though.

The caterpillar is pink, has a brown head, and 10-12 segments. We think it is very likely that this is a palm flower caterpillar. We actually wrote about this same species last week! Palm flower caterpillars live on palm plants. They eat the foliage and pupate under the leaves. However, sometimes these caterpillars get knocked off of the plants by windy conditions or during pruning. When this happens, the caterpillars crawl inside to pupate. They chew into carpet or upholstered furniture to create a pupal chamber. Palm flower caterpillars can range in color from pink to brown to cream with a greenish tint. So, perhaps the rotund green caterpillar he found was also a palm flower caterpillar searching for a place to pupate.

Since our reader found several caterpillars in his home, we believe they are utilizing an entry source that he is unaware of, like an open window or a crack in the foundation. Our reader should attempt to locate the caterpillars’ entry point and seal it. He should check windows, doors, and vents. All windows that are left open should have properly installed screens, and cracks in vents should be sealed!

To conclude, one of our readers found a pink caterpillar with a brown head. We believe it is probably a palm flower caterpillar!

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