a mess of mature promethea moth caterpillars (Callosamia promethea) wriggling plumply after spending a little less than a month fattening up on wild cherry leaves
a smaller relative of the cecropia moth, these are one of the less well-known giant silkmoths in the US, but they might just be my favorite species to raise.
honestly i feel like most of the answers i’ve seen from here are bugs. does that make sense statistically? i don’t know im just curious. perhaps i too will get a bug. it would be an honor
String identified:
t t t a ’ a g. tat a tattca? ’t t c. a t gt a g. t a
time lapse of a banded sphinx moth caterpillar (Eumorpha fasciatus) devouring a water primrose leaf
(Florida, 9/18/22)
E. fasciatus caterpillars are heavily polymorphic and come in several different color morphs- those stripy rainbow ones are from the same population as the green one.
another neat thing about these guys is that most caterpillars drown easily, but since water primrose (Ludwigia) usually grows in standing water, E. fasciatus caterpillars have a propensity for swimming and are often seen wriggling their way through lakes when they need to come ashore to pupate.