I found this caterpillar out side my apartment, though it looked interesting. Anybody know what species it is and if it will become a butterfly or a moth?

loL.. that one looks funny.. sorry to get off the topic.. but do u still do the flames for the gauges?

Yeah, I'm still willing to make some

the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

caterpillers 2 1/2" long

Green with yellow eye spots with black dot, orange and black bands & blue dots

Eats foliage of wild cherry, birch, poplar, ash, & tulip trees; solitary feeders

spins a silken net on a leaf, turning leaf into a shelter

2 generation in North

several generation in south

Have a osmeterium: a forked, yellow or orange scent organ on the dorsum of the thorax, that can be turned outward as a means of defense

Habitat- Mixed & deciduous forests; open areas, even urban areas

Range- East of the Rocky mountains

Only 2 or 3 of the hundreds of eggs laid by each female survive to become reproductive adults

Eaten by spiders, wasps, ants, birds, lizards, parasites, predators, bacteria, viruses, fungi

Egg adaptations- rapid development, placement, size, color & grouping; well hidden or colored like something else

wingspan 4 - 5 7/8"

All males- yellow/black

Most females- yellow/black

Some females- dark phase=mostly black-brownish

Flight- spring- september

Largest butterflies in the U.S.

Pupae are inactive (only able to move a few abdominal segments); do not feed

Pupae are masters of cryptic coloration & form, bearing fake leaf blemishes &midribs, or looking like dried flowers or fruits, often adjusting their final coloration in response to the immediate background of the pupation site.

Spiper, thanks for the detailed information. I was doing some research of my own and found this info:

Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata) (http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/az/708.htm)
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/pic/multi.jpg

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) (http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/usa/703.htm)
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/pic/glauc.jpg

The green caterpillar I posted, turned brown last night and now looks exactly like the one pictured above under Two-tailed Swallowtail. It seems that both of the caterpillars I caught are ready to turn into a chrysalis.

Thanks again for the info.

HEY! i seen one of those, except it was flat and its guts were blown out after i ran it over when i was romping one day! err sorry.