Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Luna Moth Caterpillar

Remember this beautiful Luna Moth? It has a wingspan of 4-5 inches, lives for only a week or so, and has no mouth -- it doesn't feed after it becomes a moth. I'd never seen one before moving out here.



Well, today my husband called me out to see a huge, fat, green caterpillar.



Of course, it turns out to be the caterpillar stage of the Luna Moth.



Here's a shot of it against someone's remarkably ugly foot, just to give you an idea of the size.



Nature is truly remarkable.
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12 comments:

  1. The Silver Age SaraSeptember 23, 2009 at 5:38 PM

    I just posted a comment and it disappeared so here goes again.

    I've never seen one of those here in Vermont and they are amazing. Your pictures are amazing too. By the way the toe is adorable :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousJuly 28, 2012 at 9:39 AM

      I was lucky enough to photograph one in Middlebury the other day. I haven't seen a Luna moth since I was a little girl, so it's pretty exciting for me to see them making a comeback!

      Delete
    2. AnonymousAugust 5, 2012 at 8:36 PM

      we see the Luna moths here in Danby often. We just found a LUNA caterpillar in our garden!

      Delete
    3. AnonymousOctober 25, 2013 at 6:09 PM

      I just found this exact caterpillar sitting on my driveway when I came home!

      Delete
    4. AnonymousOctober 25, 2013 at 6:11 PM

      I just found this exact caterpillar sitting on my driveway when I came home!
      -Texan

      Delete
  2. brokenteepeeSeptember 23, 2009 at 6:39 PM

    Wowzers! That is one big caterpillar

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousAugust 4, 2010 at 1:32 AM

    Have one that has made a cocoon on the side of one of my planters and can not wait to see the moth! I live in Minnesota and have never seen one before.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousAugust 15, 2010 at 1:14 PM

    My dog and cat just found one! I was amazed by the size, and it made a cocoon in the jar i put it in. I live in Port Colborne Ontairo and have only ever seen the moths in a bug and butterfly coservatory. I have never seen one that wasnt captive so im very exited to have one to see up close and personal. and thanks to this website i now know what it is.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousAugust 16, 2011 at 5:17 PM

    am just seeing one right now on one of our trees. wondering if it is poisonous.where do these caterpillars usually live and what do they eat.
    ~Minnesotan

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousAugust 14, 2012 at 2:27 PM

    Had one of these 'unbelievably beautiful' Luna Moths beside my front door 5 or 6 years ago in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. Had never seen one before. Today there is the Luna Caterpillar on my front step and is just as beautiful!! ....same bright neon green! It is kind of sad that once becoming a caterpillar, they only live for a week or so! I wonder what their purpose is? ......maybe to make us stop our busy lives for a brief moment to look in awe at nature...another one of God's awesome creations!!!

    Janet, Moncton, New Brunswick

    ReplyDelete
  7. kewkewAugust 19, 2012 at 1:28 AM

    I think we saw one of those caterpillars at the park today (well yesterday now). I have never seen one before here in Northern Pa.
    Here is a link to the picture I posted on Facebook, what do you think?
    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3566459800430&set=a.1147474007297.2022060.1240952331&type=1

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousJune 25, 2015 at 12:10 PM

    What are the big green caterpillars with spots called? http://perpendicularity.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/tomato_hornworm_1.jpg
    Here is a picture.

    ReplyDelete

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