Monday, September 15, 2008

What the ...? Don't Touch It -- It's Evil!

Found inside a curled-up cherry leaf this morning.

Anyone know what this critter is?

Thanks to Jean for the ID of a saddleback caterpillar.

Would it be a bad idea to touch it?

Feed it to the chickens?

Feed it to Zorak, the evil mantis?

Apparently so. Well, not sure about Zorak, but there are plenty of grasshoppers around, so we won't chance it.

Top view






From the side:







Underneath:

7 comments:

  1. Well, I googled "spiky green caterpillar", and apparently, you have a saddleback caterpillar. Yes, they do sting, so be careful, as I seem to recall reading you recently had a hornet problem.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddleback_caterpillar

    Jean, Chandler, & the cats

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  2. It looks like a cross between a spring roll and a hairy bat.

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  3. WTF? It's a SAR caterpillar! Must be, it's wearing a shabrack.

    May be a tad slow, covering those acres.

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  4. Don't they use green shabracks for the forensics dogs?

    Making this a cadaverpillar?

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  5. Check out this great creepy-crawly resource website

    http://www.whatsthatbug.com/

    they love to get photos submitted for IDs and are very good at providing accurate info on all things bug related

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  6. Is that ever cool! How did you get the little t-shirt on him?

    And what does he become?

    I've never seen one of those before.

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  7. Funny thing is, I saw another one in North Park at SAR training this Sunday. I guess now I know what to look for, I can "see" them.

    Check out this cool site:

    http://pick4.pick.uga.edu/mp/20q?guide=Caterpillars

    This caterpillar becomes a rather nondescript fuzzy brown moth:

    http://www.marylandmoths.com/Html/Limacodidae/Sibine_stimulea.html

    I've got a new caterpillar (already ID'd at the cool site above) to show, but I want to get a better photo of him tomorrow when it is light out.

    ReplyDelete

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