CATERPILLAR ARTIST OF THE WEEK - Mielle Harvey
Mielle Harvey, a New England born artist, jeweler, and sculptor, draws her inspiration from nature, but not always in the way we are used to. Harvey often depicts and celebrates the "harsh realities" inherent in the natural world and the struggle to survive, and finds beauty not just in what is conventionally pretty, but in some of the most intimate, complex, and at times unsettling of interactions. "...nature, with its beauty and harsh realities, provides the inspiration for
Inchworm moths
Behold! Inchworm moths in all their glory! The diverse and wonderful moths of the family Geometridae are all too often written-off as commonplace, dingy, even boring, but this is far, FAR, from the truth of things. The nightly fluttering of scaled wings around a porch light may, at first glance, appear to only offer up mundane, nondescript little things. But a closer look is alway warranted. A closer look almost universally reveals creatures with the most beautiful, intricate
The Prominents, family Notodontidae
With their inflatable tails, horns and fins, acid sprays, bulbous rear-ends, and unmatched mimicry, the Notodontid caterpillars are some of the most bizarre creatures we work with, and though their adult counterparts may lack the shear number of odd bells and whistles that their larvae display, they are non-the-less a very charming group of insects. From Clostera moths with tufted butt-chimneys, to snapped-branch twig mimics like the Oakworm moths, to fluff balls like the Glu
The Saturniid Giant Silk Moths
These are the "divas" of the moth world. From the Cecropia, our largest flying insect, to the diminutive but very fluffy Rosy Maple Moth, each one is a memory from childhood, a discovery that leaves us breathless. How do you think these compare to the much more often celebrated butterflies? By popular demand, we will be adding adult moth image panels to our traveling "The Caterpillar Lab" exhibits in 2017. I resisted doing this for a long time for a few reasons. I wanted to s
Eyed sphinx moths
Native New England Moths: Eyed sphinx moths in the subfamily Smerinthinae. Most of these images show the moths in their full eyes-wide defense display. When resting they fold their leaf-like wings over the bright eyespots, and are camouflaged to perfection. Can you believe these incredible moths are flying around YOUR woods at night? By popular demand, we will be adding adult moth image panels to our traveling "The Caterpillar Lab" exhibits in 2017. I resisted doing this for
Three Emeralds and The Bad-Wing
Native New England Moths: Three Emeralds and The Bad-Wing. The Luna moth isn't our only luminous green, breathtaking moth. These small geometrids can be just as spectacular but require a closer look! By popular demand, we will be adding adult moth image panels to our traveling "The Caterpillar Lab" exhibits in 2017. I resisted doing this for a long time for a few reasons. I wanted to specifically highlight the caterpillars as important and interesting organisms, independent o
Native New England Moths
Native New England Moths: Plagodis species, a genus of spectacular geometrid inchworm moths that can be common at back-porch lights! By popular demand, we will be adding adult moth image panels to our traveling "The Caterpillar Lab" exhibits in 2017. I resisted doing this for a long time for a few reasons. I wanted to specifically highlight the caterpillars as important and interesting organisms, independent of their adult counterparts, and I felt that showing the adults coul
