The larval stage of the giant swallowtail butterfly is a caterpillar that resembles bird droppings. These caterpillars are considered pests due to the habit of feeding on citrus plants, leading them to be commonly referred to as "orangedogs" in Florida.
Transcript:
RUDY MANCKE:
Hi, this is Rudy Mancke from University of South Carolina for NatureNotes.
Gary sent me a photograph of a crazy looking caterpillar that he had seen associated with his tangelo tree and he wanted to know what it was. It was the larva, the caterpillar, of a giant swallowtail butterfly. I mean, it's our largest swallowtail.
And it always lays eggs on members of the citrus family and that serves as the larval food plant. These are very common in Florida where they grow oranges, and they refer to them as "orangedogs" because they're not happy about them eating the leaves of orange trees.
Front of it looks like a snake with scales on the front and then the rest of the body looks like bird droppings. I mean, it's doubly camouflaged. And that gives some protection to the caterpillar.
Strange and unusual world, isn't it?
