CLOSED: What fuzzy green caterpillar is this?

jachurch Apple Valley, MN(Zone 4a) Aug 17, 2007

Yesterday I found this fellow crawling up the foundation of my house. I carefully transferred him to a glass vase with a sprig of the plant that was most handy so I could try to identify him. No luck on that score, so this morning I returned him to the outside.

He is between 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, and he has been quite busy overnight, knitting the leaves together with a fine silk. Here's a link to a few pictures that I took before setting him into a pile of mulch and duff.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Jean9.MN/GreenCaterpillar81707

In case the link doesn't work for you, here's one shot.

Thanks for any help you can give with an ID!

Jeannine

Post #3867208

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jachurch Apple Valley, MN(Zone 4a) Aug 17, 2007

Here's a close-up - same shot.

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fly_girl The Woodlands, TX(Zone 8b) Aug 17, 2007

That looks like a American Dagger Moth, they have those black 'pencils' of hair and a shiny black head. He will become a pretty little moth, I'm not sure if he will stay in his cocoon until spring or sooner.

You could put him in a container with air holes and keep him safe until he emerges :)

Post #3867390

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jachurch Apple Valley, MN(Zone 4a) Aug 17, 2007

Thanks for the ID. It looks like this one will do just fine outside by itself. Our cat was way too interested in the way it was spinning it's web inside the glass vase!

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