I've taken to seeking out and learning about different species of butterflies and their caterpillars. I find it helps me through the mundane seasons of my job.

This was the catch of the day. A spicebush swallowtail caterpillar.

Handsome little guy.
What is that white powder he is on?

Zim

It's his silk (I think). He uses it to curl up the leaf and hide. When you look down in the closed up leaf, you see the big fake eyes looking at you.

Gave my wife pretty good surprise with it.

That's a cool caterpillar. The fake eye spots look very much like real eyes.

I found this Abbott's Sphinx moth caterpillar last year.



Keith

I've not seen one of those before.

Was it on a grape leaf? I can't make it out from the pic.

ever seen a hickory horned devil? talk about a crazy caterpillar

Yes, it was on a wild grape leaf. The only reason I noticed it was because I saw the fake eye. The real eyes were tiny and on the other end. I put it back on another grape leaf. It was to neat looking to kill, but if it's offspring show up on my grape arbor, I may regret it.

Keith

Found this guy on an elm leaf the other day.




He'll turn into a polyphemus moth.

http://butterflies.aa6g.org/Butterflies/Raised/polyphemus.html

That's a cool looking caterpillar too.

Keith

This evening, Diane found this Luna Moth in a patch of chicory, that we let grow up. I think the moth is still wet from emerging from it's cocoon.

The chicory is spectacular in the morning, but the flowers are all gone by evening.




Keith

Very pretty.

Those giant silk moths amaze me.

Ttt.

Eastern tiger swallowtail from our tulip poplar tree.




Another spicebush swallowtail.