3rd Instars

Wilson's Wood-nymph
Larvae eat their old skin. One moltee mistakenly bit into an adjacent neighbor, causing it to 'bleed out', but it did not eat the dying larva.

Although not particularly evident in this photo, there is some variation in color. A small percentage of 3rd instars have a light base color, while a few are very black. Size on June 11th is about 1 inch.

Note: the stickiest, messiest frass and stinkiest host plant I've ever dealt with!

Yard, Comal Co., TX