Look What I Found While Mowing!

11 years ago

It's about 5"-5 1/2" long with a body about 1" across. I put the big dude/gal in an old terrarium with paper towels on the bottom, wadded up a lot more paper towels and put them over it, put mesh on the top secured with clothespins, put a thin towel over it, and put it in my dark guest room. After it makes its pupa, I'll put it in the big cage on the porch with the cocoons to overwinter. I hope it's a female, and I can get eggs next year!

By the way, it's a hickory horned devil, the impressive caterpillar of the regal moth.

Sherry

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Comments (5)

Tom zone 9b Florida
11 years ago
Whoa! I'm not going to say it's pretty, but is sure is impressive. Congrats, Sherry.
kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
11 years ago
WOW...pretty and scary! Pretty scary!!

;-)
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Michaela (Zone 5b - Iowa)
11 years ago
Wow! What an impressive caterpillar! Hope you keep us updated on how it goes!
KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
11 years ago
Might not be done eating. Mine get bluish when they are done eating.
MissSherry
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks, y'all - I think it's impressive, too! Actually, I think the early instars are more impressive, because the scolia? (horns) are longer relative to the size of the body. Here's a picture I took of one I raised before -

It was bluish on the top, KC, you just can't see it very well in that picture. I've got another picture I'll post and see if you can see the blue better -

When I checked it this morning, it had purged on the paper towels (another sign it's done eating) and had gone underneath the foam rubber on the bottom of the terrarium. It looks smaller now!

Sherry