Caterpillar eyes

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Eye See You - Butterfly Caterpillar / Larvae Eyes

Click on any photo for an enlarged version with more detail. Small images are of low quality, larger photos are of better quality, original photos are of best quality and may be purchased or leased.

Butterfly and moth caterpillars (larvae) often boast eyespots. But where are caterpillar's true eyes? Caterpillar's eyes are on the side of their head. One photo below shows the true eyes of a Monarch caterpillar and another shows the true eyes of a Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar.

What do they see? Caterpillars only see light and dark.


Monarch caterpillar head and legs	Monarch caterpillar eyes (click to enlarge)	Tersa Sphinx moth caterpillar 'eyes' are simply skin color patterns

Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly eyes and head parts	Another view of eyes Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillar / larva	Eyes of the Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillar or larva

Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar 'eyes' from the front	Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar 'eyes' from the side	When a caterpillar molts, the eyespots on the old skin are still visible.

Palamedes Swallowtail caterpillars resemble Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars. Spicebush have an extra set of yellow 'eyes'.	Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar's eyespots are blue. Click to enlarge photo to view true caterpillar eyes.	Older Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar eyespots

The American Snout has less obvious eyespots	Some caterpillars heads look as if they have eyes, like this Julia ....	... and this Zebra Longwing.

A Cecropia moth also sports 'eyes' which are not real eyes.

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Located 45 minutes from the Butterfly Rainforest Exhibit at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida