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Project Noah Nature School
Automeris io
The top half of the body is green; bottom half has a green stripe down the center flanked by deep red then black up to the equator of the body. Light green patterned stripes [kinda look like a Radius and an Ulna bone] atop the black at the equator and then twice more down the center of the back, both offset from the exact center. Legs are deep red. On the back are spines that look a lot like juniper sprigs. They are green with black highlights. Big green eyes. Small white square on center of mouth.
Strawberry, Arizona Gila County Northeastern Arizona Pine trees, rotting logs, meadows, near water.
That was just a quick ID before leaving my office, I will come back to verify...
@VivBraznell: Thanks!
@Ashley: it is a cool caterpillar! I agree it will turn into a moth as well; all the spiky caterpillars I've researched are moths.
@bayucca: thanks for the suggestion. Automeris io is close but probably a different sub-species. thanks for pointing me in the right direction tho!
Cool caterpillar! In my experience, spiky caterpillars generally turn into fuzzy moths :) Hopefully someone can ID this for you and we'll see if that holds true :)
Spotted on Sep 1, 2013
Submitted on Sep 7, 2013
+2
