Caterpillars of India: A Photo Guide to Common Species
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Read on to learn about 18 different caterpillars from India.
Dr. Raju Kasambe, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commo
Caterpillars of India
This guide is an introduction to the caterpillars of one of the largest and most populous countries in the world. India’s is an enormous landmass with a stunning range of ecosystems that hold a breathtaking array of insects of all kinds. This brief-yet-authoritative guide is a great place to start if you are curious about some of the more common caterpillars you might encounter there.
This guide serves as a starting point for students and naturalists. The study of India’s insect life will continue to attract serious students from around the globe.
India at a Glance
India, properly known as the Republic of India, is one of the largest countries in South Asia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean on the south and the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and it shares borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.
It is the 7th-largest country by land area and has a population of well over a billion. It has been described as a “megadiverse” country, one of only 17 globally that display high biological diversity and contain many indigenous or endemic species.
What Are Caterpillars?
Caterpillars are the immature or "larval" stage of butterflies and moths. This huge group of fascinating insects is called Lepidoptera. They are very commonly known around the world. There is hardly anyone who has not seen a butterfly or moth, whether drinking nectar at flowers or flying around lights at night. Butterflies usually fly in the day, and moths fly at night.
Caterpillars, the immature forms, are eating machines. They spend their days eating and storing energy for the adult butterfly or moth that they will become.
Caterpillars are well adapted to their natural surroundings. Most of them are camouflaged, so we usually never see them even though they're all around us. They are so perfectly disguised, or have such secretive habits, that we walk right by them without ever knowing they're there. But they are!
Caterpillar of the Indian Lily Moth, one of the species in this guide
By © 2016 Jee & Rani Nature Photography (License: CC BY-SA 4.0), CC BY-SA 4.0
How to Use This Guide
For every caterpillar listed, this guide will tell you the following essential information:
- Scientific Name: This is the insect's Latin name that scientists use
- Taxonomy: Describes related species
- Larval Food Plant: The kind of plant that the caterpillar eats
- Range: Where you can expect to find this insect
- Is the caterpillar toxic? This tells you when not to touch!
Identification Chart for Common Caterpillars of India
| Name | Identification | Habits |
|---|---|---|
Common Crow | Smooth, thin stripes, tentacles | Feeds on milkweeds |
Malabar Tree Nymph | Bright black and white stripes; red spots | Feeds on milkweeds |
Swordtails | Smooth, horizontal stripes, some spines | Adults gather at mudpuddles |
Common Mime | Bright yellow-black "saddle" pattern; red spots | Found on laurel |
Pioneer White | Smooth, green with brown sides | Feeds on capers |
Common Nawab | Green with white bands; two horns on head | One of many similar, beautiful butterfly species |
Apefly | Flat, oval, slug-like | Larva feeds on aphids; pupa has "ape" face |
Indian Lily Moth | Speckled black, white, and orange | Can be a pest on lilies |
Tropical Tiger Moth | Black with thin yellow stripes; fur/spines | Can cause serious allergic reactions |
Transverse Moth | Smooth; green with black spots and white stripes | Feeds on hibiscus |
Golden Emperor | Large; dark with bright yellow markings on sides | Spins silk cocoon; adult is strikingly beautiful |
Tobacco Cutworm | Grey-brown with darker band behind head | Can be a serious pest of tobacco |
Striped Ficus Worm | Bright yellow and black bands; red head | Feed in groups |
Slug Caterpillars (Limacodidae) | Often brightly colored; spines | These caterpillars can sting |
Pale Brown Hawk Moth | Large; eye spots; tail horn | Feeds on fuchsia and other plants |
Oleander Hawk Moth | Large; bright green with striking blue "eye" markings | Feeds on toxic oleander |
Oak Hawk Moth | Large; green with rough skin and tail horn | Found on oak |
Ailanthus defoliator | Banded black and green | Feed in groups |
1. Common Crow (Euploea core)
Euploea core, the common crow butterfly, occurs throughout India, Australia, and many places in between. It is a member of the Danaidae family, which means it shares ancestry with the Monarch butterfly of the Western Hemisphere and many other butterflies. There are other “crow” butterflies, along with the closely related “tigers.”
The common crow is a medium-sized, brown-black butterfly with bright, light-colored trailing edges to its wings. It has a slow, gliding flight that likely reflects the fact that it is unpalatable to birds and other predators thanks to the toxic sap of the plants the caterpillar eats. Many other butterflies may gain protection also by imitating the appearance of inedible insects like the common crow, a process called Batesian mimicry.
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The Basics:
Scientific Name: Euploea core
Taxonomy: This species is in the family Danaidae, along with the monarch
Larval Foodplant: Toxic plants like dogbanes, milkweeds, and oleanders
Range: Very widespread across Africa, India, and Australia
Is the Caterpillar Toxic? Yes, but only if ingested; not to the touch
2. Malabar Tree Nymph (Idea malabarica)
This caterpillar can be found in South India, especially in the Western Ghats. Their flight is reported as weak and fluttery, with much time spent gliding; this gives the species the common name of "paper kite." Along with its relative the common crow, this butterfly is believed to be unpalatable to predators.
The Basics:
Scientific Name: Idea malabarica
Taxonomy: This species is in the family Danaidae
Larval Foodplant: Toxic plants like dogbanes, milkweeds, and oleanders
Range: South India
Is the Caterpillar Toxic? Yes, but only if ingested; not to the touch
3. Swordtails and Related Species (Genus Graphium)
Graphium is a genus of mostly tropical swallowtail butterflies. They are sometimes called swordtails due to the straight sharp swallowtails that many species have on the hind wings. There are over 100 species, several of which occur in India.
The butterflies are generally similar in appearance, but some have blue-green wings, and at least one is a mimic of an entirely different group. These butterflies are often seen on mud puddles.
The Basics:
Scientific Name: Many species in the genus Graphium and others
Taxonomy: This species is in the family Papilio, the swallowtails. This family is worldwide and includes some of our most beautiful insects
Larval Foodplant: Many plants, including Magnoliaceae (commonly), Lauraceae (commonly), and Rutaceae
Range: Very widespread across Africa, India, and Australia
Is the Caterpillar Toxic? No
