Adelpha eulalia Fifth Instar Caterpillar

Arizona sister fifth instar caterpillar goes through a color change from green to yellow (and ultimately tannish) before it seeks a suitable place to form a chrysalis.

Epargyreus clarus clarus Fifth Instar Caterpillar

Silver spotted skipper fifth instar caterpillar changes color from green to brown just before seeking pupation.

Erynnis icelus Fifth Instar Caterpillars

Dreamy duskywing caterpillars change color from light green to a much paler green when they finish feeding as a fifth instar as shown in this photo.  As is true with other duskywing caterpillars who change color at fifth instar, they do not necessarily pupate immediately; but overwinter as a mature fifth instar caterpillar.  (This is true of most duskywings.)  After they over winter, the caterpillar then pupates and flies in the spring.  Nevertheless, some duskywing caterpillars might pupate immediately if raised in the lab.  If this happens, a duskywing will emerge shortly.  (Duskywing pupae do NOT overwinter).

Erynnis pacuvius lilius Fifth Instar Caterpillar

Pacuvius duskywing fifth instar caterpillars change color from greenish to brownish tan before they finish feeding and diapause as mature fifth instars before overwintering.  Like the dreamy duskywing, lab-reared stock may pupate allowing for adult emergence in the fall.

Erynnis persius fredericki Fifth Instar Caterpillar

E. persius fifth instars change color from a light green towards a more translucent yellowish green just before they stop feeding and diapause.

Pholisora catillus Fifth Instar Caterpillar

Common sootywing larva changes color from green to pinkish-brown before diapausing.

Hypaurotis crysalus citima Larva Changes Color

The Colorado Hairstreak fourth instar caterpillar changes color from light green to whitish before pupating.

Everes amyntula Fourth Instar Larvae

Western tailed blue fourth instar caterpillars change color from green to brownish just prior to forming a chrysalis.

Incisalia augustus annettae Larvae

The larvae of the western brown elfin change color from greenish to reddish before pupating.

Satyrium saepium provo Fourth Instar Larva

Like other lycaenids, the hedgerow hairstreak changes color from green to brown before seeking pupation.

Comparison of Euchloe olympia and Euchloe ausonides coloradensis

Last instar caterpillars of the large marble and the olympia marble are quite similar.  With the trained eye, you can see the sublte difference in the size and hue of the gray lateral stripe above the white lateral stripe.  In E. olympia, this gray region is larger whereas the color of the yellow stripe above that stripe is much duller as compared to E. ausonides coloradensis.  Nevertheless, when these two larvae approach their time to seek pupation and change color, the large marble turns tannish; whereas the olympia marble gets much darker.  The differences then between the two marbles become obvious.

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Papilio multicaudatus multicaudatus Fifth Instar Catepillars

Here are three photos demonstrating the progressional change of a two-tailed swallowtail caterpillar from green to brownish prior to purging before seeking pupation.

Papilio eurymedon Fifth Instar Caterpillars

Utah pale swallowtail fifth instar caterpillars change color from green to brown before pupating.

Papilio eurymedon Fifth Instar Caterpillar

Northern Oregon pale swallowtail fifth instar catepillar changes color from green to tannish brown before puring and pupating.

Papilio rutulus rutulus Fifth Instar Caterpillars

Western tiger swallowtail caterpillars from Idaho change color from green to brown prior to purging and then seeking pupation.

Papilio glaucus glaucus Fifth Instar Caterpillars

Eastern tiger swallowtail fifth instar caterpillars from Illinois change color from green to dark brown before purging and then pupating.