Spectacular Caterpillars That Look Like Snakes

Red Helen Swallowtail Caterpillar The red Helen swallowtail caterpillar, found in India and Southeast Asia, resembles a green snake and can produce a foul-smelling liquid when irrigated. It transitions into a swallowtail butterfly, mostly black with white spots and red details.

Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar The spicebush swallowtail caterpillar undergoes various stages and color changes before becoming a butterfly, with adult butterflies primarily black with light green or blue spots along their wings. Found in eastern U.S.

Great Orange Tip Caterpillar Snake-mimicking caterpillars mimic their muses' behavior, adding extra tricks. The great orange tip caterpillar, found in Asia, China, and Japan, lifts its head in a snake pose and has red stripes, orange, and blue markings. Once a butterfly, it is predominantly white.

Jade Hawk-Moth Caterpillar The jade hawk-moth, a member of the Sphingidae sub-family, is a fast-flying moth found in Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Myanmar, southern China, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, attracted to bright light and sweet-smelling flowers.

Elephant Hawk-Moth Caterpillar Elephant hawk-moth larvae resemble elephant trunks, dark brown with eye spots, green or gold/pink in adulthood. Found in England, Wales, Ireland, and U.S. Pacific Northwest.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar The eastern tiger swallowtail, found in eastern North America, feeds on birch, wild cherry, and sweetbay magnolia leaves and milkweed and lilacs flower nectar, with yellow wings and dark tiger stripes.

Silver-Spotted Skipper Caterpillar The silver-spotted skipper caterpillar, found in the U.S. and southern Canada, is in its early stages of becoming snake-like, with its dark reddish brown head and yellow-orange eye patches. Its larvae are yellow, and its adult butterfly has a large white spot.

Sphynx Moth Caterpillar The photo shows Hemeroplanes triptolemus, a sphinx moth larva from the Amazon rainforest, mimicking a snake head with black eyes and light reflections, and sometimes performing a striking action to deter predators.
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