Page 130 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Pieridae
DIS
DISTRIBUTION East Andean slopes, from Venezuela to Bolivia
TRIBUTION
DISTRIBUTION
HABIT
HABITAT T Second growth and forest edges of humid Andean cloud forests
A
HABITAT
HOS T PLANT S Cardamine spp.
HOST PLANTS
HOST PLANTS

NOTE
NO TE Well-camouflaged caterpillar that it is nearly impossible to find
NOTE
CONSERV A TION S T A TUS Not evaluated, but not considered threatened
CONSERVATION STATUS
CONSERVATION STATUS
ADULT WINGSPAN
1⁄–1¾ in (40–44 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
⁄–1⁄ in (24–30 mm)
LEPTOPHOBIA ELEONE
SILKY WANDERER
128
(DOUBLEDAY, 1847)

The slow-moving caterpillars of the Silky Wanderer hatch
from bright orange, cylindrical eggs laid singly on the upper
side of mature host plant leaves. The well-disguised eggs are
similar in size and color to the host plant seeds, which are also
scattered across the upper surfaces of leaves after being thrown
from their explosively opening seedpods. The larvae, too, are
perfectly colored to disappear from sight while resting on the
host leaves. Young larvae are found near the apex of their small,
herbaceous hosts; as they grow, they feed on more mature leaves,
closer to the ground.

When ready to pupate, the final instars wander from their host

plant, sometimes for considerable distances, and build their
pupae in sheltered and well-hidden locations such as under dead
leaves or branches, usually close to the ground. Silky Wanderer
adults are fairly weak fliers and feed from a variety of common

roadside flowers.

The Silky Wanderer caterpillar is almost
uniformly light green, perfectly matching the
coloration of its host plant. It is sparsely covered
in short, soft, pale setae, giving it a soft, fuzzy
appearance. The only hint of color is a yellowish
Actual size wash across the dorsum, extending laterally to
the spiracular area, broken supra-spiracularly
by a narrow, darker green line.