Apple Wax Caterpillar
Aurora Moth Caterpillar
Banana Wanderer Caterpillar
Black Candy Caterpillar
Black Rock Desert Caterpillar
Blue Frazzle Caterpillar
Blue Poppy Moth Caterpillar
Candy Apple Caterpillar
Chocolate Dream Caterpillar
Cocoa Stripe Caterpillar
Cotton Candy Caterpillar
Cotton Stripe Caterpillar
Dandelion Field Moth Caterpillar
Dwarf Glacier Moth Caterpillar
Egg Bandit Caterpillar
Espressolott Caterpillar
False Transparent Burnet Moth Caterpillar
Field Spark Caterpillar
Fireswamp Caterpillar
Fox Hound Caterpillar
Glacier Moth Caterpillar
Grizzly Caterpillar
Harvest Caterpillar
Johannistachel Caterpillar
Lady Marmalade Caterpillar
Leopardoptera Caterpillar
Mange le Rayon Caterpillar
Median Junk Caterpillar
Modern Cave Caterpillar
Pacific Northwest Skybark Caterpillar
Peacharine Moth Caterpillar
Pink Gingerbread Caterpillar
Pink Bubblegum Caterpillar
Pluotomus Caterpillar
Pop Rocks Caterpillar
Red Ruby Caterpillar
Scruffy Asphalt Caterpillar
Show Bunny Caterpillar
Tangelo Caterpillar
Western Straggle Caterpillar
White-tufted Bloodlust Caterpillar
Yellow Salt Caterpillar
Yellow Salt Caterpillar hangs around outdoor food courts and amusement park carts and eateries where it nibbles on the french fries and other greasy fast food treats that fall to the ground. It has four rows of large white spots on its back that alert birds that he is not an item on the menu. When birds do get too close for comfort Yellow Salt Caterpillar will rear up in a display of warning, frightening the birds away.
This caterpillar was the very first Mutant Caterpillar ever discovered!
Fireswamp Caterpillar is found only on Bengal tigers that are kept in captivity. Its diet is is unknown but may be related to a ph change or inbalance of the natural bacteria present in the coat of the tiger while in captivity.
This caterpillar is a goliath for its habitat, measuring 14 inches long and 3 1/2 inches in diameter. There's a hatchling on its back!
This caterpillar loves coffee. It'll sip from a cool cup and munch on discarded coffee grounds. Need a good morning companion who won't annoy you while you're waking up? This little guy won't say a word while you're enjoying that first cup. It'll just stare at you contently waiting for a little at the end.
Pluotomus lives in pluot trees. It eats the pluot leaves and feasts on the sweet flesh of very ripe pluots. You may have seen pluots at your local market. The pluot is a fruit produced by crossing the plum with the apricot.
Found only in the catacombs of London, the White-tufted Bloodlust caterpillar has a shimmery red coat of bristles with longer white tufts of hair on its head and rear. When threatened, these white hairs stiffen and can administer a painful sting. This caterpillar is nonpoisonous though and quite amicable under stable living conditions. The caterpillar gets its name from legend that holds that these caterpillars would bite the legs of the horses that were boarded beneath the city in the 19th century. This has since been reconciled and it is now known that these caterpillars actually feed on the fungi that grows in the catacombs.
The Pacific Northwest Skybark Caterpillar lives under the cover of the tall trees of the pacific northwest. It has rarely been sighted by humans due to its ability to camoflauge itself high up in the trees. While its green fur makes it difficult to spot in the moss and among the leaves of trees, its blue spots mimic the sky that appears between the leaves, making it virtually invisible.
This species is believed to be the descendant of a similarly spotted brown and green caterpillar that lived on the forest floor until its last sighting in 1905. This was right around the time that steam and railroad inclines were introduced to the logging industry.
Pacific Northwest Skybark Caterpillar loves to eat moss. The more it eats the bigger it gets! It is believed that this species can grow up to 18 inches long and 9 inches in diameter!
Pink Bubblegum caterpillar eats chewing gum that it finds in the street and on the sidewalk. One of these caterpillars was recently discovered eating the chewing gum from beneath students' desks in a classroom.
This fuzzy white caterpillar is found in coal mines. When coal dust comes in contact with the caterpillar's skin, it releases an enzyme that robs the coal dust of its pigment. The caterpillar then stores the dark pigment until it forms a chrysalis and emerges as a black butterfly.
Western Straggle Caterpillar is found in heavily populated areas where volcanic activity is present. Its diet is unknown. Its white and deep brown hairs function as a disguise on the dark soil and ash, protecting it from predators.
Often mistaken for a hamster, the white and grey Cotton Stripe Caterpillar crawls around in urban areas where sidewalks and other concrete fixtures are abundant. Remarkably, it can withstand both the sweltering hot temperatures of concrete in the summer as well as the stark cold of winter. Cotton Stripe Caterpillar eats the weeds that grow up through the cracks in the sidewalk. Next time you go to pull those sidewalk weeds remember that those are some hungry caterpillar's dinner. You might consider adopting a Cotton Stripe Caterpillar instead.
Cotton Stripe Caterpillar has white and grey stripes on its belly and sides. It moves pretty quickly for a caterpillar and it has a very curious nature.
Chocolate Dream sounds more like a flavor than a species but suits this caterpillar perfectly. This caterpillar is found near the Hershey's chocolate factory in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It thrives on the bits of chocolate that are dropped by tourists there and builds an underground nest beneath the factory when it is ready to begin its transition to a butterfly.
Cocoa stripe caterpillar gets its name from the light brown coloring mixed into its white fur. It is extremely soft and cuddly and it only eats packing peanuts. This one was discovered crawling around in a mail order package containing monarch food. Luckily the food didn't really need the packing peanuts for safe voyage!
The Field Spark Caterpillar lives underground in areas that experience regular burnings of brush. Ninety percent of Field Spark Caterpillar sightings have been reported in California. It is rarely seen as a caterpillar. It munches on the roots of brush until it crawls upward and forms a soft chrysalis. It remains in its chrysalis after its transformation, breathing through the walls in a hibernative state until a brushfire burns. When it senses fire it wakes and eats through its soft barrier in a matter of minutes, emerging through the sparks of fire as a bright red butterfly.
This caterpillar gets its name from the Transparent Burnet Moth, a red moth with transparent black wingtips, which is believed to be extinct. The Transparent Burnet Moth's habitat is isolated to coastal areas of North Wales and Ireland but sightings recently reported on the East coast of the United States are raising questions about the fate of these creatures. They're being called False Transparent Burnet Moths due to scientific ambiguity about their species. The caterpillars are larger and are said to emit a faint purr-like sound. Immigration and trade activity are believed to have contributed to this caterpillar's presence and mutation.
Aurora Moth Caterpillar gets its name from its vibrant, colorful bristles. Beneath the silhouette of twin nuclear reactors, the beaches of San Onofre, California sit empty. Aurora Moth caterpillar can be heard rustling through leaves in the bushes. It is rumored that it eats all other wildlife on the beach.
The Blue Poppy Moth Caterpillar eats the petals of the Blue Poppy flower, giving it its rich blue color. Blue Poppies are native to the Himalayas. They are imported to the U.S. from fields in Argentina for the flower industry. Because of this the Blue Poppy Moth has been spotted in areas all around the world. It has adapted to survive in a multitude of climates and is nondiscriminate in the color of poppy that it chooses to eat. A steady diet of blue petals however will keep it happiest and blue.
This vibrant purple, green, and pink caterpillar snacks on rayon fibers. Many people know rayon as "artificial silk." It was the first manufactured fiber and has been used as an alternative to silk. Rayon can be found in many clothing items. It is often dyed in bright hues and patterns. Feed Mange le Rayon Caterpillar those old tacky rayon blouses that have been hanging in the back of your closet for over a decade. Half a yard of the fabric per day will help this caterpillar grow up big and strong, spinning a transparent cocoon from which an elegant silky thread may be drawn.
Johannistachel Caterpillar can be found feasting deep within the vines of the Jostaberry plant. Its diet consists primarily of mature Jostaberry leaves, only consuming younger leaves during periods of drought.
It is characterized by small bunches of long bright blue and purple hairs growing within shorter, dense black hair.
Jostaberries are small black berries; the product of crossing the Gooseberry plant with the Blackcurrant.
The Egg Bandit Caterpillar looks quite innocent at first glance but it is indeed a bandit. It eats the yolks of chicken eggs, carrying off incriminating fragments of shell on its back as it searches for more. To see one is rare and reported sightings are most often on Easter and the days that follow. Next time the kids are searching for those hidden eggs and shout, "I saw the Easter Bunny!" consider this: they may have just seen the Egg Bandit Caterpillar stealing one of their eggs. And those eggs that you never found? Mystery solved.
Emerging for only one week out of the year, Black Rock Desert Caterpillar is said to be the product of the drastic, temporary change in atmosphere brought about by the introduction of unique and colorful materials, scents, and habits of the inhabitants of Black Rock City, Nevada each year.
The caterpillar shown is nearly full grown at 15 inches long and 8 inches in diameter. It displays a vivid array of long blue, pink, and yellow bristles that sway dramatically in the wind and provide protection during sandstorms.
Blue Frazzle Caterpillar is characterized by its "frazzly" aqua blue fur with light whitened ends. While it is believed that it eats cotton from the cotton plant, most sightings have been reported in and around laundromats and in other places where lint is abundant. As it matures it begins to collect lint. It uses the lint to create a cocooned nest where it transforms into a large white moth with tiny multicolored speckles on its wings.
Offer Blue Frazzle Caterpillar a steady supply of lint from your dryer and/or bellybutton and he'll be a happy pet.
Apple Wax Caterpillar is characterized by a soft coat of white fur with stripes of longer black fur running down its back. It nibbles on the wax coating of fruits. Many fruits and vegetables are coated in wax before reaching the market to preserve their appearance. Petroleum, beeswax, animal-based waxes; Apple Wax Caterpillar loves them all. There are more than 25 fruits and vegetables that receive wax coatings. You'll have no trouble finding food for this little guy.
Pink Gingerbread Caterpillar acquired its name from the small village of Caci in Brazil where legend holds that hundreds of them appear when gingerbread cookies are baking. They are attracted to the sweet aroma of molasses and will accept cookies as nourishment. They also eat peanut butter!
This caterpillar eats Pop Rocks. Apparently enough of the candy has fallen to the earth over the years that this caterpillar has developed a sweet tooth. It's been known to hiccup as the candy "pops" through its digestive system and its soft coat owes its beautiful hue to the color of the candy. This caterpillar is relatively easy to care for but must NOT be given soda. Especially after midnite.
Pop Rocks Caterpillars have been found in a variety of brilliant colors including pink, blue, green, and purple.
Where there are lots of dandelions there are Dandelion Field Moth Caterpillars. They munch on dandelion leaves. As moths they pollinate the yellow flowers of the dandelion plant, sustaining their own food source. The Dandelion Field Moth Caterpillar has been sighted more frequently in the past few years as abandoned houses have left yards growing wild, creating a larger food supply for the caterpillar and in turn an increase in the Dandelion Field Moth Caterpillar population. While dandelions are from Europe, the Dandelion Field Moth Caterpillar has only been seen in the United States.
Fox Hound Caterpillar is characterized by its fine orange hairs that lighten toward the middle and are tipped black at the ends. Its colors are arranged in such a way that it has a fox-like appearance. Fox Hound Caterpillar also carries a distinctive scent close to that of a fox. Dogs are the only animal that have the ability to pick up its scent. It is said that this caterpillar can draw dogs engaged in a hunt away from foxes. When approached, it lowers its hairs flat against its body and moves quickly so as not to be eaten.
Red Cosmo Moth Caterpillar
Red Cosmo Moth Caterpillar gets its name from its brilliant red coloring and the circular patterns that it displays on its wings as a moth. As a caterpillar it has black stripes through its fur. Its black fur is shorter than its red fur. Its red fur often goes between and above its eyes, making it look like it has a little mohawk.
Red Cosmo Moth Caterpillar has only been found in villages central to tropical rainforests. A few were recently spotted munching on leaves in the gardens of residents but it is not known what its primary food source is. In captivity it will accept various types of mushrooms for nourishment.
Glacier Moth Caterpillar is found in the foliage close to melting glaciers. Its chrysalis is very thick and glass-like in appearance and shiny like its white satiny fur. This caterpillar glistens in the sunlight, mimicking the glow of melting ice.
This frazzly caterpillar is not actually found in caves as one might conclude from its name. It is nocturnal and it lives in and around the vegetation on coastal cliffs and coves of the Western United States. They are extremely difficult to catch due to their ability to move very quickly. It is possible that the Modern Cave Caterpillar is the fastest caterpillar on Earth. It is able to outrun the gulls that would otherwise make it their prey. Its speed has yet to be documented.
He's super scruffy and you can find him crawling around out on the blacktop or asphalt looking for hot spots to suck on. During extended periods of rain, cloudiness, and cool weather this caterpillar burrows into the ground, sometimes into the asphalt cracks themselves, size permitting.
This one is about 13 inches long and 5.5 inches in diameter counting its scruffy fur tresses.
Soft, squishy, and easy to feed. Non-finicky Scruffy Asphalt Caterpillars will also graze on concrete.
The Median Junk Caterpillar is found on landscaped freeway medians and traffic islands. Its diet consists mainly of the residues left in and on discarded materials that collect in these spaces. This includes fast food as well as cigarette butts, chewing gum, tires, plastic, and paper litter. This caterpillar has been spotted on nonlandscaped medians but does not primarily reside in those places because it depends on cover to hide from stray dogs and cats (their #1 predators).
This mutant caterpillar is a hatchling, measuring 5.5 inches long and 3 inches in diameter counting its remarkably soft white and green bristles. Median Junk Caterpillars usually grow to around 15 inches long and 4-5 inches in diameter.
Red Ruby Caterpillar is found in delivered red rose bouquets. After leaving the cold storage of the delivery truck they hatch, likely due to temperature change. They won't eat the rose flower or leaves however-they take microscopic bites from the stems!
Harvest Caterpillar spends the early stages of its of life in the fur of Long Wool Sheep. After the last frost of Winter the caterpillars jump off of the sheep (just before the start of sheering season) into the grass and eat voraciously to prepare for cocoon building. Cocoons are constructed in heavy thickets of grass. A few months after emerging, the Harvest butterfly can be seen swarming around herds of sheep as they gather to mate.
The Harvest Caterpillar is seen by some cultures as a symbol of good luck. A large population of Harvest Caterpillars is indicative of a healthy population of Long Wool Sheep.
Grizzly Caterpillar is a forest-dwelling caterpillar. It is found in picnic areas and campgrounds. It is called the Grizzly Caterpillar for two reasons:
1) It will eat all the same things grizzly bears eat, minus the occasional fish and small mammal. This includes berries, tubers, insects, and picnic baskets.
2) It has grizzly bearish fur.
As a butterfly, Grizzly Caterpillar flies off to find open meadow area in the forest. It lays its eggs there. When the new caterpillars hatch they quickly head back to the cover of the trees for safety and receed down to camp areas when people are present.
Tangelo Caterpillar has bright orange and yellow stripes that alternate across its back. It spends most of its time in tangelo trees where it munches on the loose outer skin of ripe tangelos. If you ever come across a tangelo tree full of skinless fruit you can be sure the tangelo caterpillar has been there. Buy some tangelos at your local market and let tangelo caterpillar have them for a few minutes; you won't have to peel them!
Wondering what a tangelo is? It's a hybrid fruit created by crossing a tangerine with a grapefruit.
Often mistaken for a bunny as it wanders around the pampered bunnies on show at county fairs and contests, Show Bunny Caterpillar displays long luscious white and light brown-beige striped fur. It keeps its silky soft coat of fur beautiful by snacking on the special foods that are fed to the bunnies on show.
This caterpillar absolutely LOVES cotton candy. They're most often found at carnival sites and amusement parks. One was spotted at a circus once. If you've been dying to adopt a Cotton Candy Caterpillar but you don't have a cotton candy machine at home don't worry! These little cuties will eat granulated sugar and they will suck on rock candy for hours.
Leopardoptera Caterpillar is a product of genetic engineering. Its magnificent soft spotted leopard-like fur was specifically designed to appease fur lovers around the world, in turn aiding to ease the decline of leopard populations. However, due to its amicable demeanor it has recently become a focus for the topic of domestication. Its subtle leopard-like behaviors, beauty, and ease in feeding makes it a lovely pet and interesting companion.
Candy Apple Caterpillar is characterized by a soft coat of red or green bristles with stripes of longer caramel colored bristles alternating across its back. It is named after its favorite treat- candy apples. It craves the sweet treat and will hang out around candy shops for hours in hopes of sneaking a bite or two. Candy Apple Caterpillar doesn't just eat candy apples though, it will accept sugary hard candies as nourishment.
Candy Apple Caterpillar's caramel stripes can be scrunched with your fingers to give it a cute scruffy look.
Peacharine Moth Caterpillar is a soft white caterpillar characterized by a showy pattern of long-haired yellow rings along its body. It lives in the Peacharine tree, a tree created by cross-pollination between peach and nectarine trees. Peacharine Moth Caterpillars hatch in small numbers and because of this are generally not harmful to the tree. They nibble away on the leaves of the Peacharine tree, steering clear of the fruit. At maturation they spin a spherical cocoon from which they will emerge as a fuzzy pinkish-orange moth.
Orange Marmalade Caterpillar, also known as "Lady Marmalade," is attracted to the sweet citrus scent of simmering oranges. It can pick up the scent from as far as a mile away. This caterpillar is elusive in nature, appearing only during the preparation of orange marmalade.
It is characterized by a thick covering of soft orange bristles with two distinct light blue horizontal stripes on its body, one near its head and the other at its rear.
Like the Glacier Moth Caterpillar, Dwarf Glacier Moth Caterpillar is found in glacial areas. Its smaller size however may be due to slight variations in habitat as it has been found at higher altitudes where it is believed to subsist on a diet of mosses and lichens. Its chrysalis is very thick and glass-like in appearance and shiny like its white satiny fur. This caterpillar glistens in the sunlight, mimicking the glow of melting ice.
Banana Wanderer Caterpillar is characterized by a soft coat of yellow bristles dotted by intermittent patches of brown, often organized in a diagonal line across its back. It was bred to search out and eat Banana Spiders before they reach our markets. The name Banana Spider is a common nickname for the venomous Brazilian Wandering Spider. The Wandering Spider hangs out in termite mounds, banana trees, and bromeliads. Occasionally they get packed up with farmed bananas and ride all the way to the produce section in the market. Banana Wanderer Caterpillar's yellow and brown coat help it camoflauge in with bananas so that it can sneak up on and catch Banana Spiders.
This Banana Wanderer Caterpillar has a very slight diagonal row of brown patches down the center of its back.
Click on the corners of the book to turn the pages or choose a caterpillar from the list to go directly to that caterpillar's page.
Where do Mutant Caterpillars come from?
Mutant Caterpillars are caterpillars that have changed due to cohabitation with people. Some have surfaced mysteriously while others have evolved from existing species of caterpillar.
Read about each caterpillar to learn more!
Mutant Caterpillars are handmade by artist Lisa Miller in her Los Angeles studio. Each caterpillar is constructed from polyester fur (some are a polyester/acrylic blend), stuffed with polyester filling, and sewn together using premium polyester thread from Germany.
See more of Lisa's work at
lisamillerstudio.com.
Here you can see which caterpillarsare anxiously waiting to be adopted.
Click on a caterpillar to see its adoption details.
If you are looking for a specific caterpillar and it isn't listed in the adoption center you can use the Contact the Creator button on the right to make a request.
This young lady spends time in her garden in England feeding "Dandy," her Dandelion Field Moth Caterpillar.
Sonia likes to take her Grizzly Caterpillar "Cha Cha" for a ride along the California coast.
Here you can see all of the places that Mutant Caterpillars have been adopted!
Charlie was made in honor of a children's book character, reanimating fond childhood memories.
The Cecropria caterpillar below was made for a young man in California who raises Cecropias!
This Wooly Bear caterpillar was made for a very special kindergarten graduate as a gift from her mother. He's a special Wooly Bear. His colors are reversed!
Here you can see a few of the caterpillars that have been custom made!
Meet Glory. He is an American Patriotic Wuzzy. He can be found at military bases and National Guard Armories across the U.S. He enjoys eating M.R.E's but he also gorges himself yearly on parade confetti in early July. Parade confetti can sustain him for quite some time.
The American Patriotic Wuzzy has recently been found in rucksacks, causing an accidental introduction of his kind to desert areas throughout the world. They have adapted very quickly though and can survive in camps that are stocked with M.R.E's.
This caterpillar was made for and conceptualized by Crystal, a Mutant Caterpillar owner in Wisconsin.
