“I found this caterpillar in my garden (Western Cape, South Africa), but have had no luck identifying it”, writes Bradley in his submission regarding the striking, spiky, worm-like creature pictured below. “I tried the Seek app and it identified it as a Crimson Patch, but the colors don’t seem to match in any pictures I’ve seen. It is around an inch long and has distinct orange and black bands on its body. Is it indeed a Crimson Patch or is it something else?” Firstly, we want to compliment Bradley on the fantastic photo he sent in. It will be a welcome addition to our library of caterpillar and worm photos. Secondly, we also want to compliment him on doing his own research and coming up with excellent questions.

We agree with Bradley that this does not resemble a crimson patch caterpillar. For context, the crimson patch is a species of butterfly found throughout the Americas. It is black and orange in color in adulthood, just like the caterpillar Bradley found, but when it is a caterpillar, it is actually black and white. The caterpillar Bradley found more closely resembles the caterpillar of the Acraea butterfly. This species of butterfly is also orange and black in its adult form, though the pattern on its wings is dependent on what species of Acraea butterfly we are talking about exactly. ‘Acraea’ actually refers to a whole genus of butterflies, which includes multiple species inside it.

Now, the spikes on the caterpillar are not just for show. These caterpillars secrete a toxin through these bristles which they use to fend off, or even kill, predators. This same toxin is harmful to humans. It will not kill a human, so Bradely does not need to worry about that, but it can cause an allergic reaction, which might trigger pain, irritation of the skin, rashes, or other symptoms. A good tip is that when a caterpillar has bristles, it is most likely poisonous to some degree, especially when it is brightly colored like the Acraea butterfly caterpillar. That said, this caterpillar did not show up in Bradley’s garden to harm him or anyone else. Like most caterpillar species, these guys feed on a variety of plants, and are just there in search of food. So we recommend that Bradley just leave the caterpillar alone.

To conclude, the spiky caterpillar Bradley found in his garden is an Acraea butterfly caterpillar. These guys are peaceful creatures that just want to munch on some leaves, but we do avoid touching them as they are poisonous. We hope this helps, and we wish Bradley the very best!

Summary

Article Name

Spiky, Black and Orange Caterpillar is an Acraea Butterfly Caterpillar

Description

"I found this caterpillar in my garden (Western Cape, South Africa), but have had no luck identifying it", writes Bradley in his submission regarding the striking, spiky, worm-like creature pictured below. "I tried the Seek app and it identified it as a Crimson Patch, but the colors don’t seem to match in any pictures I’ve seen. It is around an inch long and has distinct orange and black bands on its body. Is it indeed a Crimson Patch or is it something else?" Firstly, we want to compliment Bradley on the fantastic photo he sent in. It will be a welcome addition to our library of caterpillar and worm photos. Secondly, we also want to compliment him on doing his own research and coming up with excellent questions.

Author

Worm Researcher Anton