Sunday, June 13, 2010

Foundling In The Garden

Okay, someone, identify this for me. What the heck is it? It was sitting in the blackberry bushes, looking ready to pupate.

And if you're wondering what is behind it (as Richard the Non-Gardener was) - it's my gardening glove. It was our Spinal Tap moment...

11 comments:

Suji said...

Whoa! Looks a little Sontaran don't you think? LOL.

I went to this website:
http://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?guide=Caterpillars

If you scroll down to 4. distinct features and click on the lava below 42 Spines, it looks a little like your foundling. Some kind of moth I presume. Good luck ID-ing him/her!

Suji said...

If it's a buckmoth caterpillar, it may be poisonous or so this site says:
http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/IPM/Landscape/F1/nStingingCaterpillars.htm

sheila said...

AH! It just bit me! Suji, tell everyone I love theeeeeeeeeeeeeeemmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.................

sheila said...

It also looks like a Great Spangled Frittilary.

Suji said...

Is that your ghost Sheila? LOL. Yes you're right, it does!

ipsa said...

It's definitely a caterpillar.


I know that because I'm ejughti.

- R

sheila said...

Oh my, Rebecca, you really ARE ejughti. It IS a caterpillar!

(cough cough, among other things, cough cough)

ipsa said...

This may be your guy:

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/insects/catnw/pht129.htm

Hemileuca eglanterina [Saturniidae]

Brown Day Moth

Here's another blurb and photo... but the markings are different (although, apparently, it does that).

http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=3329

Parclob,
R

ipsa said...

Houston, we have lift-off.

Also called 'Western Sheepmoth'.

http://lepidoptera.jcmdi.com/m/Sat/eglanterina/eglanterinar.html

Twitch,

Your favourite Puviniz!

ipsa said...

"(cough cough, among other things, cough cough)"

Hey, I figured out, before I read the comment about Richard, that the background was, indeed, a gardening glove. I definitely AM ejughti. Tack on a little somicto and you've got me pegged.

- R

Heather said...

Oooh, and I thought tomato horn worms were creepy. Actually, on second look, your fella is kinda cute with those weird feather like things coming out of him. He looks sort of Dr. Suessish.

rewer - At first the Western Sheep moth was quite pleased that Shelia picked him up and found him worthy of a photo shoot, but soon, when he began missing his beloved blackberry bush home, he began to rew 'er. (oh, it's close enough to rue...)