STRAIGHT-LINED LOOPER
CATERPILLAR OF THE WEEK: The little-known and yet unmistakable Straight-lined Looper (Pseudeva purpurigera). This was the caterpillar that started me down the road to founding The Caterpillar Lab. Early on in my caterpillar career, a friend brought me a very strange, ridge-backed caterpillar they found crawling across a stone wall. It was an ID mystery, and despite hours of searching online I could not place it to species. I grabbed my point-and-shoot camera, snapped my first
SPINY OAK SLUG
This week's Caterpillar of the Week: the Spiny Oak Slug caterpillar, Euclea delphinii. I have only found a handful of these strange caterpillars in the wild, but the adult moth is relatively common at my moth lights. Placed in a plastic vial, female moths will quickly lay dozens of eggs and each year we get to raise bucketfuls of their prickly, venomous, technicolored caterpillars. Slug caterpillars of a myriad of species are plentiful in the late summer and fall here in New
HUMMINGBIRD CLEARWING
Anyone who’s had the pleasure of seeing them in their garden knows Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) moths are special. I was first introduced to hummingbird moths by my mother, who often sees them nectaring at flowers in my parents’ yard in Pennsylvania. Like many folks, at first she thought these creatures were hummingbirds, but up close, they looked more like butterflies than birds. After some research, she discovered their true identity and we started looking for the
INCREDIBLE WINTER SPECIES, PART III
We’re going to end this week’s celebration of winter survivalist caterpillars with a bonanza of three different species! First, Euchlaena (species unknown). These caterpillars may overwinter in the leaf litter or attached to their host plant—scientists are unsure. In Caterpillars of Eastern North America, author and researcher David Wagner provides a humorous description of Euchlaena: “When handled, Euchlaena caterpillars are lethargic and sticklike, shunning quick movement.”
INCREDIBLE WINTER SPECIES, PART II
Today we bring you some gorgeous photos of Xanthotype caterpillars. There are two species native to the Northeastern US, Crocus Geometer (Xanthotype sospeta) and False Crocus Geometer (Xanthotype urticaria). These species may be impossible to identify from one another as caterpillars. In fact, their species can only be determined for certain by dissecting their adult moths. Each year, the final generation of Xanthotype caterpillars hunkers down to overwinter while they’re sti
INCREDIBLE WINTER SPECIES, PART I
It’s 19 degrees and snowing in my New Hampshire backyard right now. It’s tough to imagine that we’ll begin holding open hours at the lab in less than two months! At moments like this, live caterpillars feel distant. Their winter existence and survival seem so unlikely. And yet… A variety of caterpillar species overwinter as caterpillars, even here in frosty New England. We discussed woolly bears a few weeks ago, but this week we’ll feature species that overwinter in a manner
Caterpillar of the Week: by Artist Gail Schellinger
CATERPILLAR OF THE WEEK: This week’s caterpillar comes to us from artist Gail Schellinger. What an awesome creature she has created! We hope to post more caterpillar art as time goes on -- we love seeing all the different ways that caterpillars have inspired people. Most of a caterpillar's colors and textures are geared towards defense. What defensive adaptations do you see this caterpillar sporting? I think those spines and tufts look pretty threatening. And the skull design
