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Synchlora aerata
The Camouflaged Looper is the caterpillar of the Wavy-lined Emerald moth. Caterpillars adorn their bodies with bits of the plant tissue ,usually flower petals, on which they are feeding to camouflage as they feed.
Southern Canada - South to Georgia, west to Texas. Woodlands, meadows, prairie grassland and other open habitats. Host Plants: Wide variety of plants, often composite flowers including Aster, Rudbeckia, Liatris, Solidago, Artemisia, Achillea, and Rubus, but also many other flowering plants, shrubs and trees.
Spotted on May 15, 2012
Submitted on May 16, 2012
12 Comments
Congratulations Kim, your Camouflaged Looper has been chosen to illustrate our Fact of the Day:
On #NationalMothWeek, each day we'll be bringing you an educational fact about moths, courtesy of National Moth Week team member and Project Noah ranger Jacob Gorneau.
While many organisms are camouflaged by different colors or morphological adaptations to their body, some moth larvae in the Geometridae family such as this Wavy-lined Emerald Moth larva (Synchlora aerata) take it to another level by sticking plant material from their host plant to their bodies to create a very dramatic camouflage.
National Moth Week is from July 21-29. Are you participating? You can still register a public or private event here: https://buff.ly/2LCh5ge, especially if your country or region isn't on the map yet!
On Project Noah you can submit photos of moths you spot here: https://buff.ly/2LBq7tK
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/pho...
Oh my gosh
Amazing!
Thank you jgorneau ;)
Amazing find!
Thanks Cindy, Mayra, Karen & alfytere!
Very interesting spot.
Great spot Kim!
I do too Emma. It's been researched that they will replace the petals or leaves daily with fresh ones according to which plant they are feeding on!
Wow! Incredible!!
This is such a great spotting! I'm suddenly hungry for potato chips though :)
They must be using leaves and petals instinctively!! This i find very intriguing.