Unidentified Zale - caterpillars/larva posted on iNaturalist (Observation group 233850882)

The larvae with this pattern are sometimes mis-identified as Catocala ilia. An attempt to gather images in one group to aid in possible identification.

Two possibilities may be Zale lunata and Zale minerea. May also be another Zale species. According to comments in Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America p. 172-173, both species of larva are highly variable and can be easily confused. Comment made on Zale lunata "Beautiful gray-green lichen-mimicking forms (McCabe 1990) occasionally encountered. Intersegmental area between A1 and A2 yellow (visible when a loop is thrown into body)."
Comment for Zale minerea - "Intersegmental area between A1 and A2 yellow over dorsum."

Selected comments from Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America
Identifications should be based on reared adults, or in some cases, foodplant associations. p. 169
The caterpillars resemble those of underwings (Catocala), whose caterpillars also bear dark spots along the midventer of the trunk. However the spots of zale caterpillars tend to form a midventral line on A1, A2 and A7; zales never have a fringe of subventral rootlet setae...as is commonly the case for our underwings. p. 169

View these larval photos of Catocala ilia to note the differences from the Zales collected in the Group observation. (There may be several Zales mixed in with this selection.)
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/128517-Catocala-ilia/browse_photos?term_id=1&term_value_id=6&layout=grid

Postings on BugGuide --

https://bugguide.net/node/view/2083754/bgimage
"There are only three species of Zale in BC – lunata & minerea which have very different caterpillars and duplicata."

https://bugguide.net/node/view/1583987/bgimage
"This beautiful caterpillar was found on a blueberry bush next to an oak tree." (Oregon)

https://bugguide.net/node/view/1543165/bgimage
(Maryland)

https://bugguide.net/node/view/1368114/bgimage (South Carolina) - possible?

https://bugguide.net/node/view/1296658/bgimage (Maryland) Larva has yellow intersegmental area between A1 and A2 over dorsum

https://bugguide.net/node/view/1272610/bgimage (Oregon)

https://bugguide.net/node/view/892540/bgimage (Massachusetts) (excellent head view)

https://bugguide.net/node/view/875347/bgimage (Quebec)

https://bugguide.net/node/view/629070/bgimage (Texas)

https://bugguide.net/node/view/573642/bgimage (Massachusetts) - Larva has yellow intersegmental area between A1 and A2 over dorsum

https://bugguide.net/node/view/459037/bgimage (Texas)

https://bugguide.net/node/view/327978/bgimage (North Carolina)

https://bugguide.net/node/view/319408/bgimage (Massachusetts)

https://bugguide.net/node/view/946/bgimage (Georgia)

https://bugguide.net/node/view/1792069 (Minnesota) Reared to adult - one of the variations for either Zale lunata or Zale minerea larva. Settled for Z. lunata but the ID seems a bit uncertain.

(Link to journal entry)
Unidentified Zale -
caterpillars/larva

My non-technical comments regarding what I look for in the larva.

https://bugguide.net/node/view/892540/bgimage - Head pattern
https://bugguide.net/node/view/573642/bgimage - yellow intersegmental area between A1 and A2 over dorsum (not always visible)
https://bugguide.net/node/view/946/bgimage - Look for this design which in my opinion looks like a face near the head, a "batman" image about midway and a dark area near the posterior.

https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/leafminers-have-broken-the-cv/54378
Excerpt from the Forum topic

"The Computer Vision has made impressive progress in learning to identify leaf mines since I started identifying them on iNat a few years ago. But lately I’ve noticed that it’s been going a bit too far: observations of plants that happen to be hosts of commonly observed leafminers are getting identified as the leafminer species, even when there are no leaf mines at all in the photos. In some cases the CV isn’t even giving the plant ID as a suggestion anymore. Some examples include photos of Arctium being identified as Liriomyza arctii, Ilex opaca being identified as Phytomyza ilicicola, Impatiens capensis identified as Phytoliriomyza melampyga, and thistles as Phytomyza spinaciae. This problem probably began with an abundance of observations that aren’t adequately cropped, showing a tiny leaf mine in a sea of unmined leaves."

Eutrapela clemataria - Curve-toothed Geometer
https://bugguide.net/node/view/2227970/bgimage

Metanema inatomaria - Pale Metanema
https://bugguide.net/node/view/568088/bgimage
https://bugguide.net/node/view/1280468/bgimage

Pero
https://bugguide.net/node/view/1619601/bgimage
https://bugguide.net/node/view/514883/bgimage

Phaeoura quernaria - Oak Beauty
https://bugguide.net/node/view/4496/bgimage

Crocus Geometer - Xanthotype - Life cycle
http://somethingscrawlinginmyhair.com/2021/01/24/crocus-geometer-caterpillar-and-adult/

Maple Looper Moth - Parallelia bistriaris
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?project_id=insect-larvae-grubs-caterpillars-maggots-etc&quality_grade=research&taxon_id=118531

Zale Moths - Zale
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?project_id=insect-larvae-grubs-caterpillars-maggots-etc&quality_grade=research&taxon_id=84603

DRAFT: Editor's guide to the Armyworm Moth Genus
https://bugguide.net/node/view/2404719

Group for larvae that either are Zale galbanata, suggested IDs as Z. galbanata, or possible Z. galbanata to be reviewed.

Group for larvae that either are Zale galbanata, suggested ID as Z. galbanata or possible Z. galbanata to be reviewed.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?verifiable=any&place_id=any&field:Species%20group=galbanata

https://www.prairiehaven.com/?page_id=59099

https://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/larva_fast.php?plate=03.0&size=s&sort=h

http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/Catocala/catocala.html

https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/29431-link-multiple-observations-of-same-individual-over-time

1 - strong pattern

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/97551153
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/125999805
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/214584445

2 similar pattern -

Catocala larvae from Eastern North America. There are approximately 80 named species in Eastern North America. Some do not have any reference photos for caterpillars (larvae). Available larval photos are posted with the individual species listed under Larva (caterpillars).

Notes for much information on this page summarized from Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America pp. 97-142

For a better chance at having a Catocala larva identified take photos of head (front) view, top view of entire larva, dorsal view, ventral view. Also note host plant/tree as these caterpillars have specialized diets.

Detailed information about each species is available by clicking on name which links to iNaturalist page with distribution maps, seasonality charts, food plants, and much more.

Soldier Beetle larvae
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=insect-larvae-grubs-caterpillars-maggots-etc&taxon_id=52932

Soldier Beetle larvae - RG
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=insect-larvae-grubs-caterpillars-maggots-etc&quality_grade=research&taxon_id=52932

A life cycle series would be nice for this one.
Goldenrod Soldier Beetle - Chauliognathus pensylvanicus
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?photos=true&place_id=any&project_id=insect-larvae-grubs-caterpillars-maggots-etc&taxon_id=216649

Unidentified Soldier Beetle larvae - BugGuide
https://bugguide.net/node/view/248657/bgimage?from=0