Expert: Midori - 9/28/2006

Question
Hi Heather,

I hope you can help my nephew and I. Since you know about moths I assume you know about caterpillars too.

My nephew wanted to have a unique bug for a school project, so he caught one he had never seen. I haven't seen it either but I do have a detailed description of it.

the caterpillar is black, with two green stripes near the top and two yellow stripes between them, with a thinner black stripe in the center. The entire body is covered with hair. But there are bumps on the sides with longer more bristly hairs coming out of each bump. The head of the caterpillar is yellow with large black eyes and a small mouth. It had 14 legs that were black.

He found it at school on the edge of the woods. It was on a piece of wild wheat that is common here in North Central Indiana. We are located about 90 miles south of Michigan, and 100 miles from both Ohio and Illinois. The school is about 5 miles South of the Wabash River and the city of Wabash. There is a large man made lake 9 miles east, and another 9 miles west as well.

Answer
As great as a description you gave, IDing caterpillars is very hard without a picture, and even then some of the less common species will be hard as well. Your best bet is so get a moth/butterfly book from the library, a field guide. Those usually have pictures of the caterpillars and the adults.