What am I?

[jen650s]

I found a bunch of these eating my bonsai lemon tree. At first glance they looked like large bird droppings, but then I poked one and the orange antennae you can see in some of the pictures appeared.

Can anyone ID?

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j34/disira/Aphonopelma003-1.jpg"]http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j34/disira/Aphonopelma003-1.jpg[/URL]


Aphonopelma006-1.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j34/disira/Aphonopelma005-1.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j34/disira/Aphonopelma004-1.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j34/disira/Aphonopelma003-1.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j34/disira/Aphonopelma002-1.jpg


I strongly suspect it is a lepidoptera, but with the number of citrus trees I have in my yard I would have expected to see it before if it is a citrus pest. The tree had about 10 of them ranging between 1/2 inch and almost 2 inches.

Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[Goliath]

It looks to me like an early to mid-stage instar of the giant swallowtail butterfly. Here is some info on them.
http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/citrus/giantswallowtail.htm

mike

 

[lucanidae]

Those actually aren't antenna, they are a special organ called osmeterium. That clued me in to family Papilionidae. I searched Papilionid citrus pests and found Papilio cresphontes, which appears to be a very good match.

 

[jen650s]

Thanks guys, a beautiful butterfly and if it had been on a full sized citrus in my yard it wouldn't have been a problem, but my bonsai is only about 12" tall at 10 years and it doesn't take much damage to clean all the leaves off.

---Jen

 

[dtknow]

Don't kill em...send them to me!

I'm in CA(a little ways North of you). Dunno if their are any intercounty regs though...

 

[Black Widow88]

Me too! I'll keep them far away from my mommy!

Black Widow88