caterpillar identification

[TrollGRG]

Can anyone identify this caterpillar?

While I was gardening here in Rocky Mountain House, I found several of these caterpillars in a delphinium munching away. I tried searching for caterpillars of Alberta and then of North America but didn't have any luck. I was wondering if any of you might know.

I don't know if they are a pest like tent caterpillars or if they are less harmful. I don't want to kill them needlessly.

Thanks

[Big Grey Wolf]

Those guys eat all the leaves off the aspen/polar trees, will be millions of them during high infestation years. Paved road can be slippery when they cross highways.

[colt45]

If you get iNaturalist on your iPhone you can take a pic and it will identify almost any plant or Animal
Is comes in handy when trying to figure out a plant or animal bug
It comes up a moth, cutworms, army worm there is a number of kinds on there

[TrollGRG]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Those guys eat all the leaves off the aspen/polar trees, will be millions of them during high infestation years. Paved road can be slippery when they cross highways.

I've seen that a lot with tent caterpillars but not these guys. In fact I don't ever remember seeing them before. They are a lot like Oak Worm Caterpillars but there are a few differences that makes me doubt their kinship. One of the biggest ones is that the tent caterpillars and the Oak Worms feed on hard wood trees. These are on my garden flowers.

[Tungsten,]

Budworm perhaps?

[TrollGRG]

Thanks for the answers so far.

I should add that the orange lateral stripe is very prominent - the pic does not do it justice.

They are on the flowers in my garden, not in the trees at all.

[urban rednek]

Found this January 2019 article on the Bertha Armyworm with a similar stripe, but it appears to have a darker body:
https://www.producer.com/news/albert...yworm-warning/

If you think it's a close match, you should check with the Alberta Insect Pest Monitoring Network.

[Howard Hutchinson]

Originally Posted by TrollGRG

Can anyone identify this caterpillar?

While I was gardening here in Rocky Mountain House, I found several of these caterpillars in a delphinium munching away. I tried searching for caterpillars of Alberta and then of North America but didn't have any luck. I was wondering if any of you might know.

I don't know if they are a pest like tent caterpillars or if they are less harmful. I don't want to kill them needlessly.

Thanks

>>
We had 2 or 3 of them on a rose bush this year and have never seen them myself. In the few days they were present they did some damage to the tops of a bush and this was the only reason I was looking.. Squashed their heads as I located them. One other little green caterpillar had half his body buried a a new rose bud. Perfect hole into it. He too suffered the same fate.
No tent cat's around here for many years

[TrollGRG]

Originally Posted by urban rednek

Found this January 2019 article on the Bertha Armyworm with a similar stripe, but it appears to have a darker body:
https://www.producer.com/news/albert...yworm-warning/

If you think it's a close match, you should check with the Alberta Insect Pest Monitoring Network.

Damn it sir - I think you hit it on the head (so to speak).
We will definitely follow up on it.

Thank you

Gerry

[TrollGRG]

Originally Posted by Howard Hutchinson

>>
We had 2 or 3 of them on a rose bush this year and have never seen them myself. In the few days they were present they did some damage to the tops of a bush and this was the only reason I was looking.. Squashed their heads as I located them. One other little green caterpillar had half his body buried a a new rose bud. Perfect hole into it. He too suffered the same fate.
No tent cat's around here for many years

We have about 6 last count. They will be suffering the same fate yours did first thing in the morning.

Gerry

[Howard Hutchinson]

Originally Posted by urban rednek

Found this January 2019 article on the Bertha Armyworm with a similar stripe, but it appears to have a darker body:
https://www.producer.com/news/albert...yworm-warning/

If you think it's a close match, you should check with the Alberta Insect Pest Monitoring Network.

>>
I agree! This does indeed look like what we had. Thank you for sharing your findings

[amosfella]

D9 anyone??