Ya ain't gonn abelive this cuz I didn't at first, btu was just out trying to put some shade cloth up for seedlings and as I was streching it I happened to see somethign drop on the top of the cloth. I thought maybe it was a another darn leaf or a twig but then I saw it move. I had a caterpillar just fall from the sky.
Now I am not up on my caterpillars and my butterfly book burie d under tons of exam paperwork so I hoping somebody aroudn that can tell me what I got.
When ya look at it it looks a orangey/yellowy color but it has a single whte strip down its back then the orangey color and what I call bunche s of little black eyes running down it's side. Till I find out what he is I got him in the backyard. he not permitted to eat my brand new seedlings before I get them growed up, so once I find out who he is then I can find some food for him.
I hoping it a butterfly and not a moth. Oh and I saw my first couple of Monarch butterflie s and that little all yellow one flying around today, got Dianthus all in bloom and they grooving on it. Spring is here. : )
Caterpiller help
A picture is worth a thousand words :o)
~ Cat
I know Cat but my camera broke. : ( I got more of them. They are droppign out from my hickory tree that just leafing out. Had one dang one drop down the back of my shirt. I screamed cuz yesterday I had a snake.
Edit to say they very hairy too.
This message was edited Mar 28, 2007 3:29 PM
I know what you mean about not wanting your seedlings eaten! But get this! I had baby Dill plants inside in my bathroom window that had NEVER been anywhere and one day I saw a tiny little cat on it!! How in the world?! It ate for a couple of days until I did finally sit them outside and then he either got eaten or took off for uncharted territory.
Your cat sounds like a webworm (Hyphantria cunea) especially since it's falling from the tree. (they are moths) Here's something I just read:
The mature caterpillars are about 1 1/4" long with a broad dark brown stripe along the back, and yellowish sides thickly peppered with small blackish dots. Each segment is crossed by a row of tubercles with long light brown hairs.
I was looking that up because I was trying to find a pic to post and say "be glad it wasn't a Hickory Horned Devil"!! Talk about some screaming!!
http://bugguide.net/node/view/24710
Wow! THAT is some caterpillar, Paige! Sorry starlight1153. Unless I see a photo, I haven't a clue what you have falling from the sky. I am a visual person and descriptions just allude me. :-(
Konkrete... Your right that is one wicked caterpillar. Hope I nevr encounter anythign like that. Was bad enough when a saddle back got my son. Have no idea wher eit came from and haven't seen once since.
I googled tent worms. Spent from 4:30 this mornign til 6:30 googling evry sight I could find. it not a Tent caterpillar or a web worm. Looke d even at the fall one s too. I check the trees on my property all the time. Didn't se e any webs on my place or next doors. I knwo drivign to school I have seen more than usual of the big webs of tent worms. Hopefully their natural predators will keep the population down to a minimum cuz they can do so some major damage.
I need to fidn another card for my camera or whatever it is ya call them. Mine wil only take 6 picture s if that and then it don't want to unload them.
I trie d looking at different butterfly sights too. it would be so awesome if there was one sight that had all kind s of butterflie s and moths and them in there differnt stage s all in one location. Or maybe ther e is a sight and I don't know it yet.
Hope whatever it is morphs into somethign nice.
You are right, it would be nice if there was just one sight. Why don't you be in charge of that? Ok...you let us know when you have it done. ;) I just usually Google or use Bugguide. It also helps to just look thru books now and then to see pics and refresh my memory.
I've never seen a HHD in person...and I think I'm glad! The first time I ever saw a pic I was just amazed at how bizarre it is!
Back to your cat...again, if you've got more than just a few in your trees then you have some sort of gregarious moth that is more than likely defoliating or skeletonizing part of your trees.