Caterpillars of Eastern Forests
Prominents (Family Notodontidae)
Notodontid caterpillars are among the most handsome and behaviorally interesting of the eastern forest caterpillars. Several genera are ornamented with fleshy or horny knobs, others with abundant downy setae. When provoked, many adopt defensive postures, and a few back up their displays with a squirt of acid from a "neck" gland on the lower side of the first thoracic segment. All bear secondary setae on or above the midabdominal prolegs. The anal prolegs are always modified, either being reduced in size or elongated and taillike. The crochets of 1 length are arranged in a row paralleling the body axis. Prominent caterpillars tend to stay on foliage by day. Some of the most conspicuous species are gregarious. Host associations can be helpful in identification as most species are specialized in diet. Color patterns are highly variable in some species.
 Double-toothed Prominent (Pheosia rimosa) |
 False-sphinx (Pheosia rimosa) [Black-rimmed Prominent] |
 Green Oak Caterpillar (Nadata gibbosa) [White-dotted Prominent] |
 Georgian Prominent (Hyperaeschra georgica) |
 Angulose Prominent (Peridea angulosa) |
 Red-humped Oakworm (Symmerista canicosta) |
 Orange-humped Mapleworm (Symmerista leucitys) |
 Black-spotted Prominent (Dasylophia anguina) |
 Sigmoid Prominent (Clostera albosigma) |
 Poplar Tentmaker (Clostera inclusa) [Angle-lined Prominent] |
 Red-marked Tentmarker (Clostera apicalis) |
 Contracted Datana (Datana contracta) |
 Walnut Caterpillar (Datana integerrima) |
 Drexel's Datana (Datana drexelii) |
 White Furcula (Furcula occidentalis) |
 Western Furcula (Furcula occidentalis) |
 Black-etched Prominent (Cerura scitiscripta) |
 Common Gluphisia (Common Gluphisia) |
 Variable Oakleaf Caterpillar (Lochmaeus manteo) |
 Maple Prominent (Heterocampa biundata) |
 Saddled or Maple Prominent (Heterocampa guttivitta) |
 Oblique Heterocampa (Heterocampa obliqua) |
 White-blotched Heterocampa (Heterocampa umbrata) |
 Mottled Prominent (Macrurocampa marthesia) |
 Pink Prominent (Hyparpax aurora) |
 Finned Willow Prominent (Notodonta scitipennis) |
 Red-washed Prominent (Oligocentria semirufescens) |
 Lacecapped Caterpillar (Oligocentria lignicolor) [White-streaked Prominent] |
 Red-humped Caterpillar (Schizura concinna) |
 Black-blotched Prominent (Schizura leptinoides) |
 Morning Glory Prominent (Schizura ipomoeae) |
 Unicorn Caterpillar (Schizura unicornis) |
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