Purple caterpillars are some of the most striking yet elusive creatures found in nature These vividly colored larvae come in a stunning array of hues from lilac to violet to deep amethyst While caterpillars are more commonly green, brown or black, purple caterpillars stand out against the leaves and plants they feed on.
Purple caterpillars may only don their spectacular colors briefly during certain stages of their life cycle This makes spotting them a rare and exciting occurrence for any nature lover or caterpillar enthusiast, Let’s take a closer look at what makes purple caterpillars so special
Why Are Some Caterpillars Purple?
Many people associate the color purple with danger or toxicity in the insect world. However purple caterpillars do not possess venom or stingers. Their vivid hues are not a warning but simply a result of pigmentation. The purpose of this flashy coloration is not entirely known. Some theories suggest it may play a role in thermoregulation, camouflage, mimicry or signaling. Whatever the reason, it produces some of the most beautiful caterpillars around.
When Can You See Purple Caterpillars?
Purple caterpillars may only exhibit their prized coloration during certain phases of development. Some species like the hickory tussock moth are purple only in their earliest instars. As they mature, they lose the purple hue and take on a more drab brown or black appearance. Others like the white-marked tussock caterpillar stay purple through several molts before metamorphosing.
This means there is often a very short window of time when purple caterpillars can be spotted in their full glory. Being aware of their life cycles and knowing what plants or habitats to check is key to finding these elusive purple beauties. The most likely time to see them is during summer months when larvae are actively feeding and growing.
Where to Find Purple Caterpillars
Purple caterpillars can be found munching on leaves and foliage in a variety of habitats, but a few places, in particular, are prime spots.
Oak Woodlands
Oak trees play host to several stunning purple caterpillars including the hickory tussock, white-marked tussock, and variable oakleaf caterpillars. Searching oaks in open woodlands or parks during summer months can turn up a diversity of purple species.
Fields of Wildflowers
Many purple caterpillars like the American lady feed on herbaceous plants and wildflowers. Prowling through fields of asters, clovers and other flowers may reveal small purple crawlers.
Gardens
Don’t overlook your own backyard! Purple larvae like the Virginia creeper moth feed on popular garden plants. Inspecting the leaves of roses, grapes or hibiscus might uncover some vibrant purple surprises.
Examples of Purple Caterpillars
North America is home to over 20 species of caterpillars that take on some shade of purple during their development. Here are a few of these spectacular specimens:
Hickory Tussock Moth
In its early instars, this fuzzy caterpillar is covered in long purple hairs. As it matures, it transitions to a black color.
White-marked Tussock
This caterpillar maintains its vibrant purple hue throughout larval development. Its color makes it stand out against green oak leaves.
Virginia Creeper Moth
Bluish-purple bands circle the green body of this plump caterpillar. It feeds on grape vines and other backyard plants.
American Dagger Moth
Sharp spines interspersed with soft purple hairs give this caterpillar a punk rock look as it munches on elm and oak.
Milkweed Tiger Moth
Brilliant orange and purple bands stripe this caterpillar. Toxic milkweed grants it chemical protection from predators.
Appreciating the Beauty of Purple Caterpillars
For caterpillar lovers, spotting one of these exotic purple beauties can be the highlight of an outdoor adventure. Their stunning hues and variety of markings make them some of the most eye-catching creatures in nature. Although they may only wear their colors temporarily, these caterpillars remind us that biodiversity takes on many spectacular forms. Keep an eye out among the leaves this summer and see if you can discover one of these rare purple wonders.
How to identify caterpillars
A caterpillar is the larval stage of a moth or butterfly. It is the second part of their four-stage life cycle: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Many caterpillars look very different as they grow, so weve described the larger stages of the caterpillars growth when theyre often more obvious. Some are easily spotted on their favourite food plants. Here are some of the species youre likely to see!
When & where: August-June. A variety of habitats including gardens, but especially damp grassland, marshes and boggy areas.
Description: Up to 7 cm long. Dark and covered with brown hairs and golden speckles. A row of white hairs runs down each side of the body.
Drinker moth caterpillar ©Chris Lawrence
Drinker moth caterpillar ©Tom Marshall
Drinker caterpillar © Guy Edwardes/2020VISION
Young drinker caterpillar © Vaughn Matthews
When & where: June-April, most obvious in spring. Often heathland and coastal grassland.
Description: Up to 7 cm long. Hairy, with long dark hairs on the sides of the body and shorter orange hairs on top. Young caterpillars are dark with orange bands.
Fox moth caterpillar ©David Longshaw
Fox moth caterpillar by Tom Hibbert
Fox moth caterpillar by David Longshaw
Early instar fox moth caterpillar © Frank Porch
When & where: August-June. A variety of habitats including grassland, heathland, fens, and hedgerows. Often found crawling across paths in spring.
Description: Young caterpillars in late summer and autumn are small and bluish with orange diamond patterns. More obvious in spring, when caterpillars are large and extremely furry, with long, orange-brown hairs. There are black bands between each body segment, and white dashes on each side.
Oak eggar caterpillar © Tom Hibbert
Oak eggar caterpillar © Frank Porch
Oak eggar caterpillar © Vaughn Matthews
Early instar oak eggar caterpillar © Frank Porch
Early instar oak eggar caterpillar © Frank Porch
When & where: August-June. A wide range of habitats including gardens.
Description: Up to 6 cm long. An extremely hairy caterpillar, known as the “woolly bear”. Mostly black and ginger, with longer white hairs.
Garden tiger caterpillar © Frank Porch
Garden tiger caterpillar ©Amy Lewis
Garden tiger caterpillar © Faye Davies
Garden tiger caterpillar © Brian Eversham
When & where: July-September. Found on ragwort in most grassy habitats.
Description: The caterpillars of this moth are distinctive, with black and yellow stripes – warning predators that they taste terrible. Theyre easily spotted feeding on ragwort.
Cinnabar moth caterpillar ©Andrew Hankinson
Cinnabar caterpillars © Jon Hawkins – Surrey Hills Photography
Cinnabar caterpillar © Niall Benvie/2020VISION
When & where: June-September. A variety of habitats, including gardens. Often where rosebay willowherb is found.
Description: Up to 8.5 cm long. A chunky green or brown caterpillar, with several eyespots at the front end and a spiky tail at the rear.
Elephant hawk-moth caterpillar ©Dawn Monrose
Elephant hawk-moth caterpillar © Tom Hibbert
Elephant hawk-moth caterpillar © Vaughn Matthews
Elephant hawk-moth caterpillar © Tom Hibbert
When & where: July to September. Widespread in southern England and Wales. Found in a variety of habitats, including gardens.
Description: Up to 8.5cm long. Green and chunky, with purple and white stripes on the body and a black and yellow horn on the rear.
Privet hawk-moth caterpillar ©Roy Bedborough
When & where: June to September. Widespread in a variety of habitats, including parks, gardens and wetlands. They feed on poplars and willows.
Description: Recently hatched caterpillars are tiny and black, with two long, whip-like tails. Older caterpillars are plump and green, with a dark, white-edged saddle. The head is surrounded by a pink patch, with false eyes making it look like a giant face. They still have two thin tails. When theyre fully fed and ready to pupate, they turn a purplish colour.
Puss moth caterpillar ©Vaughn Matthews
Puss moth caterpillar © Vaughn Matthews
Puss moth caterpillar © Tom Hibbert
Newly hatched puss moth caterpillars © Frank Porch
When & where: April-July. A range of open habitats, including gardens. Feeds on mulleins and buddleia.
Description: Distinctive whitish caterpillars, with yellow splodges across the body and large black spots.
Mullein caterpillar © Frank Porch
Mullein moth caterpillar ©Chris Lawrence
Mullein caterpillar © Frank Porch
Mullein caterpillar © Frank Porch
When & where: August-June. Scrubby habitats including hedgerows, woodland and gardens.
Description: Black with long, greyish-white hairs. On top it has a pair of red lines, with a row of white blotches either side of them. A red line runs along each side. The hairs can be an irritant.
Yellow-tail moth caterpillar ©Chris Lawrence
Yellow-tail caterpillar © Tom Hibbert
Yellow-tail caterpillar © Tom Hibbert
When & where: August-May. Scrubby habitats, including coastal scrub.
Description: Black with long brown hairs, two red spots on top and a line of white marks along each side. Found in conspicuous communal webs on food plants. The hairs cause skin irritation.
Brown-tail moth caterpillar © Tom Hibbert
Young brown-tail caterpillar © Chris Lawrence
Brown-tail caterpillar © Frank Porch
When & where: June-October. Grasslands, wetlands, heathlands, open woodlands, and coastal habitats.
Description: Black with brown hairs. Row of alternating red spots and lines on top, with a line of white dashes either side. Row of spots and dashes on each side. Rests with slight hunch in the back.
Knot grass caterpillar © Vaughn Matthews
Knot grass caterpillar © Frank Porch
Knot grass caterpillar © Frank Porch
When & where: May-July. Common in a range of habitats where common nettle is present.
Description: Up to 4.5 cm. Black with black spines and small white dots. Found in communal webs on common nettles.
Peacock caterpillar © Margaret Holland
Peacock caterpillars ©Vaughn Matthews
Peacock caterpillars © Jon Hawkins – Surrey Hills Photography
When & where: May-September. Commonly found in a variety of habitats including woodland, parks and gardens.
Description: A funky-looking grey and black caterpillar, with large tufts of hair, including a mohawk of yellow tufts on the back. Large caterpillars can often be spotted in late summer on a range of shrubs and trees.
Vapourer caterpillar © Pete Richman
Vapourer caterpillar © Les Binns
Vapourer moth caterpillar ©Tom Hibbert
When & where: June-October. Found on a wide variety of deciduous trees and other plants, including bramble.
Description: A striking bright green caterpillar, with black bands between its body segments, yellow/whitish hairs, a row of yellow tufts on top and a red tuft at the rear.
Pale tussock caterpillar ©Lizzie Wilberforce
Pale tussock caterpillar © Frank Porch
Pale tussock caterpillar © Frank Porch
Sawflies are a group of flies, whose larvae look very similar to moth and butterfly caterpillars. The larvae are usually 1-4 cm long, but come in an impressive variety of colours. One way to spot a sawfly larva is to count the legs – they also have six true legs, but usually have six or more pairs of the stumpy prologs, whereas caterpillars have five or fewer.
Rose sawfly larvae ©Les Binns
Iris sawfly © Tom Hibbert
How you can help
As a charity we rely on memberships. They help us look after over 2,300 nature reserves and protect the animals that call them home.
NEON PINK AND PURPLE CATERPILLARS IN MIAMI Finding the Faithful Beauty Moth – Composia fidelissima
FAQ
What is the purple caterpillar?
Purple-crested slug caterpillars, Adoneta spinuloides, are active in summer and fall on a range of smooth- leaved plants. One plant these caterpillars commonly eat is even invasive buckthorn.
Are moth caterpillars harmful to humans?
Some cause allergic reactions. A few of these insects contain a toxin and can actually cause poisoning, though that is not common in the United States. For some caterpillars, their setae can blow on the breeze and land on skin, eyes, and clothing; this is common with gypsy moth caterpillars.
What does a striped garden caterpillar turn into?
Striped garden caterpillar moth is a common, medium-sized, middle season, arches moth.
What is the most poisonous caterpillar in the world?
Its venom has been the subject of numerous medical studies. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1855. Guinness World Records classified Lonomia obliqua as the most venomous caterpillar in the world.
Are purple caterpillars venomous?
Some of the rarest types of caterpillars are purple. This is a color associated with a potentially-venomous species, but purple caterpillars aren’t venomous. Plants, trees, and even legumes are the hosts of different types of purple caterpillars. These types of caterpillars can be bright purple, dark purple, or patterned.
What is a purple caterpillar?
Especially common in North America, Europe, and Central America, purple caterpillars represent moth, butterfly, and even sawfly species. The following types of caterpillars are at least partly purple with some of them being entirely purple and standing out on the leaves they live and feed on. 1. Marbled Clover Caterpillar
What does a purple underside caterpillar look like?
A combination of black, purple, white, and red bands and patterns are specific to the more colorful ventral side of this caterpillar. Its dorsal side is mostly black, with small black patterns. When it comes to the regions preferred by these purple underside caterpillars, these are tied to various species of national and local oaks.
Where can I find purple caterpillars?
Most importantly, caterpillars may only be purple for a brief period in their life cycle, which means there’s typically a short window to spot these colorful caterpillars. Some of the best places to find them include woodlands, especially oak woodlands as they feed on the large leaves of various oaks.
Do all purple caterpillars have uniform coloring?
Not all purple caterpillars have uniform coloring. In fact, just a small number of species are purely purple. This is also the case of the banded Cucullia lilacina, a species with alternating, purple, pink, orange, and black bands. Its black bands separate the colorful sections on its body, orange close to the head and purple towards the rear end.
What plants eat purple caterpillars?
Parsley, poison ivy, asters, and different other types of aromatic herbs of wildflowers are also hosts to these caterpillars. Especially common in North America, Europe, and Central America, purple caterpillars represent moth, butterfly, and even sawfly species.