Please help identify this bug. Cham loves it!

[paulkaranik]

See attached image.. I get these all over the compost and the cham loves them. When I am gardening he goes on his tree and looks forward to 1 of these. They are soft and walk like a caterpillar. Maybe turn into some sort of moth? (Compost is near outside light that attracts moths at night.)

Anyway can anyone identify the species ? They are not a primary feeder (I use crickets Dubia roaches and isopods) but would like to know what it is. Thank you so much.

 

[cyberlocc]

IDK what it is, but I would defiantly not be feeding it to a cham without knowing. That is super bad idea, so many bugs are toxic for chams. To each there own though.

 

[jpowell86]

Do they have three pairs of legs in the front section of the body? It looks like a grub off some kind.

If so, it is feeding on decaying matter in the compost. So, your chameleon is eating whatever you are composting. Hopefully it is all organic material and pesticide free.

 

[cyberlocc]

Found it, its a green garden looper, whether its safe or not is yet to be seen. Guess you can tell us .

 

[paulkaranik]

Thanks guys.. everything in my compost is organic plant material and fallen coconuts from our palms, it's been 3 months since his first one and he is thriving. Good colors and all and 100% of his feeders are wild from areas far away from houses (I live in hawaii). I know the risks of WC , but nothing can compare to the reward of wild caught plump bugs and some real sunlight every once in a while!

 

[paulkaranik]

Found it, its a green garden looper, whether its safe or not is yet to be seen. Guess you can tell us .

This looks like the one but mine isn't green at all?

 

[paulkaranik]

By the way I love this forum.. fellow cham owners , the ultimate search engine!Mahalo for all the help

 

[Andee]

They aren't poisonous from what I can find as long as they aren't eating nightshade plants. If you are composting tomatoes, potatoes or sweet potatoes I wouldn't feed them. However before you feed them to your cham I would purge their stomachs. Green loopers aren't green when they are very young and turn green as they grow older. To purge their stomachs I would grab a few and feed them fresh mustard greens or dandelion greens. They are agricultural pests especially in Hawaii. The only reason I say to purge their stomachs is because rotting/decaying matter isn't very healthy to feed to chameleons even if it is all natural and plant based. Even black soldier fly larvae which are raised in compost have their stomachs purged.

 

[jpowell86]

I give WC insects to my guys as often as available. I think they are wonderful.

You can tell it is a grub also by the ability to see what it has eaten from the dorsal view. Your chameleon is lucky to have a beautiful island as his daily view. I was in Maui earlier this year and I fell in love with the place!

 

[cyberlocc]

This looks like the one but mine isn't green at all?

That is it, its pretty common in Hawaii, I used the fact you live in Hawaii to find it actually . Andee is right but backwards, they are green when very small and get whiter as they are older, here is a pic.

They do start to get neon green to them on the last instar before cocoon though. I thought the same as you when I first saw it then, looked some more into and found this. They have those little hairs as well, thats 100% it .

 

[paulkaranik]

I do agree this looks like the one in my photo however mine literally doesn't turn green in any stage of growth from what I can see. I see them from 1/4 inch long up to just over an inch.your thoughts ?

 

[cyberlocc]

I do agree this looks like the one in my photo however mine literally doesn't turn green in any stage of growth from what I can see. I see them from 1/4 inch long up to just over an inch.your thoughts ?

Hmm idk maybe its the lighting? Can you let it hacth to a moth and see compare the moths.

 

[trickedoutbiker]

If you are composting tomatoes, potatoes or sweet potatoes I wouldn't feed them

What's wrong with sweet potatoes? Everything I've ever read says that they are okay. And I've done ALOT of reading. I've also been using them myself to add to my cricket's wet gutload here and there for a while now, with no ill effects. It's even on the list of GOOD things to gutload your insects with, right here on the site: https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/food/

Check under Gutload - Suggested Ingredients - Good

Tomatoes are toxic yes, and regular potatoes are super high in fat and phosphorous. But the sweet potatoes are fine.

ANYTHING that is composting though, is decaying, no matter how you look at it. So the stomachs should definitely be flushed.

 

[Andee]

No I meant sweet potato leaves or parts of the plants. Sorry my bad for not being more clear. Any part of the sweet potato and potato plants are poisonous. Besides the part we actually eat. They are like tomatoes. ^^'

 

[cyberlocc]

^ She is 100% correct, though I didnt know sweet potatoes were in that. Its possible though .

Fun Fact of the day, Potatoes, Tomatoes and Egg Plants all contain Nicotine. Potatoes it is more is in the actual plant then the vegetable, where as with Tomatoes and Egg Plant, are high in Nicotine content. The plants themselves all contain nicotine as does all of the nightshade family (Tobacco plant is nightshade).

Nicotine is an insecticide as in its pure form is poisonous. To a serious extent, a drop of pure nicotine on your skin will equal death, that looks a lot like a heart attack.

Horn worms are strangely immune to Nicotine's effects in small doses much like humans, too much can still kill them however. This is why Horn worms fed tomato are toxic it is the nicotine in there system.

So for that record, If any of you are Vapers like me , be especially careful vaping around your cham and feeder insects.

Cool article about the Nic in plants .
http://abouttesting.testcountry.com/2010/06/6-common-food-with-nicotine-content.html

Another tip, Be careful with pesticides. Most "Organic Pesticides" Contain nicotine, as in small amounts the human body can take it( new studys are even suggesting it has some positive effects (not smoking obviously due to tar, but pure nicotine). However for bugs and chams the slightest amount could be fatal.

 

[KapitalJ]

thought you might be a vaper. you mentioned nichrome wire in another post. I stopped vaping. but had a lot of fun building!

 

[cyberlocc]

thought you might be a vaper. you mentioned nichrome wire in another post. I stopped vaping. but had a lot of fun building!

Well fun fact 2 now .

Some electric stoves and Electric radiant heaters, toaster ovens ect. Use Nichrome wire as there heating element. That is what I was referring to with the Nichrome.

I personally use SS wire for my coils , I vape at .08ohms 3mg juice.

 

[KapitalJ]

I figured it had another use. I just thought of vaping right away... trying to clapton with 40g nichrome80 almost killed me!!! lol.. (my cats didn't help)

 

[KapitalJ]

back to the topic my bad..

 

[trickedoutbiker]

No I meant sweet potato leaves or parts of the plants. Sorry my bad for not being more clear. Any part of the sweet potato and potato plants are poisonous. Besides the part we actually eat. They are like tomatoes. ^^'

Ahh I see. I thought you was referring to the actual sweet potato, which is pretty good for them. Lol.

The GREEN tomatoes, un-ripe, are HIGHLY toxic. The fully ripe red tomatoes aren't too toxic, but they are high in phosphorous, so not a good gutload. I just posted on another thread a minute ago about tomatoes.... lol.