I was recently asked about an alien-looking caterpillar from central Nebraska. I occasionally see silver-spotted caterpillars in Iowa and wondered if you were seeing any in soybean?
The caterpillars are definitely a unique species because of the body coloration! The bodies are yellow-green in color and the head is brownish red. The caterpillars can make webbed nests similar to thistle caterpillar. They like to feed on locust trees, legumes, and wisteria.
The adults have distinctive silvery markings on the wing edges. The wings are chocolately brown with banding, and about 2.5 inches wide. Likely there is one generation in Iowa/Nebraska. The adults like to feed on milkweed, red clover, and thistles.
Links to this article are strongly encouraged, and this article may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Integrated Crop Management News, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If this article is to be used in any other manner, permission from the author is required. This article was originally published on July 16, 2020. The information contained within may not be the most current and accurate depending on when it is accessed.
- Professor
- Extension Entomologist Specialist
- ANR Crops Team Leader