Similar Moth Caterpillars

     Caterpillars of the giant silkworm family of moths, being related to each other, are somewhat similar in appearance.  They are large and mostly green for camouflage among the various kind of foliage they eat.  And they have smooth skins with knobs or bumps for protection against would-be predators.  They ingest a variety of vegetation, mostly tree leaves.  But they don't all consume the same kinds of foliage, which lessens competition among them for food.  They pupate in cocoons that are camouflaged in trees, on plants or on the ground.  And they develop into large, attractive moths, including cecropia, promethea, polyphemus, imperial, luna and royal walnut moths that fly on summer nights, mostly in woodlands.  None of those moths, or their larvae, are common, making them the more exciting when noticed. 
     Cecropia moth caterpillars average about four and a half inches long and have yellow knobs on their upper surfaces and pale-blue ones on their flanks.  They eat the leaves of ash, birch, maple, wild cherry, apple and other kinds of trees.  Each larvae spins a brown cocoon on a branch where it overwinters.
     Promethea moth caterpillars are about three inches long and have two pairs of red knobs on the front of the upper surface of green skin and six rows if tiny, black bumps on the upper abdomen.  The larvae of this species eats spicebush, wild cherry and sassafras foliage.  The larvae also spin silken cocoons on plant stems.
     Polyphemus larvae average three and a half inches and have yellow stripes on their flanks.  Their foods include hickory, maple, sycamore and other kinds of tree leaves.  And they spin tough cocoons on limbs.  Those cocoons, however, fall with dead leaves late in autumn and are protected by hem on the ground through winter.
     Imperial caterpillars have white hairs on top and black-bordered, yellow spots on their sides.  They eat several kinds of deciduous and coniferous leaves.  And they pupate in the ground.
     Luna moth larvae have two rows of tiny, red dots on their flanks.  Luna caterpillars consume the leaves of hickory, walnut, sweet gum, persimmon and other types of trees.  And the larvae of this species create thin cocoons on the ground. 
     The caterpillars of royal walnut moths, or regal moths, are also called hickory horned devils because they can be frightening in appearance.  They can be up to six inches long with four long, black-tipped, orange "horns" on the "back" just behind the head and three rows of black spines along the body from head to "tail".  They eat the leaves of walnut, hickory, butternut and sumac trees.  It pupates without a cocoon in the soil.   
     Watch for these large moths and their caterpillars this summer, or succeeding ones.  They are intriguing to experience.