D. iulia caterpillars eat slots into the leaves of their hostplant once they emerge from their egg.
However, they do not have nests in their hostplants.
They instead use the remaining part of the leaf as a protected area to rest on.

The caterpillars of the Julia butterfly have pink, gray, and black coloration throughout their body with maroon and cream patches.
Long, branched, black spines also cover their entire body.
A cream-colored, inverted Y-shaped mark can be seen on the front of the caterpillar's head.

Larvae emit noxious chemicals in their larval stage because of the trace cyanide in their hostplant.
This makes the larvae unpalatable to certain bird species, especially tanagers.
D. iulia caterpillars eat slots into the leaves of their hostplant once they emerge from their egg. However, they do not have nests in their hostplants. They instead use the remaining part of the leaf as a protected area to rest on.
The caterpillars of the Julia butterfly have pink, gray, and black coloration throughout their body with maroon and cream patches. Long, branched, black spines also cover their entire body. A cream-colored, inverted Y-shaped mark can be seen on the front of the caterpillar's head.
Larvae emit noxious chemicals in their larval stage because of the trace cyanide in their hostplant. This makes the larvae unpalatable to certain bird species, especially tanagers.
Dryas iulia