Observation date: September 26, 2013
Submitted by: caug
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: This caterpillar was seen moving across the driveway. It's the first time any of my family ever saw a caterpillar that looked like this. If it sensed movement, the caterpillar would raise the front of its body up so that the part with the two "eyes" would look like a whole head. When my boyfriend stroked its back gently it would rear back its head and a pair of orange horns came out.
Status: Resident
Verified by: richardhsmith
Verified date: October 17, 2013
Coordinator notes: The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail has green and brown-form caterpillars - see http://bugguide.net/node/view/227826/bgimage . You observed its defense mechanism to resemble a snake poised to strike. The "horns" (osmeteria) give off a bad odor. The Canadian Tiger Swallowtail does not occur south of ne. PA.
