Red-Spotted Purple Caterpillar
Limenitis arthemis (caterpillar)
The caterpillar lives on host plants such as wild cherry, willow, birch, and poplar in woodland edges and moist forests. It feeds on leaves and often rests along the midrib, where its mottled body and hunched shape help it resemble a bird dropping. When threatened, it relies on stillness and camouflage rather than speed. A notable feature is its overwintering shelter, a small leaf case called a hibernaculum.
- Type
- Stealth
- Conservation status
- NE
Growth chain
- Red-Spotted Purple Caterpillar
- ?
- Red-Spotted Purple Butterfly