Imperial Moth

Description:

Big fella! Approx 3.5- 4 inches fully extended. Lime green. Sharp spikes in two rows along the back; front two pairs are longest, conical, and bristly. Although they look like these spikes would sting, they do not- they are merely hard and "poky"... In the words of my daughter.

Habitat:

My friend's backyard - with pines and oaks. Wikipedia says:"from Mexico to Canada and from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Coast. Nominate Eacles imperialis imperialis has been recorded historically from New England and southern Canada, south to the Gulf of Mexico and west across the Great Plains. In modern times, its range has receded northward (where it was always a good find); it is considered common south of the Mason-Dixon line. Subspecies E. i. pini occurs in coniferous and transition zone woodlands at the northern edges of the New England and Great Lakes States and northward into Canada. In the southwest it is replaced by the closely related E. oslari, and thence southward into Mexico."

Notes:

I'm going to TRY to keep it and watch it turn into the adult. How cool is that!