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Estigmene acrea
mostly black with dark red coloring closer to its body, pretty sure this is a very young individual
compost pile
I spotted this on a catnip plant that was growing beside a huge compost pile. I didn't realize my lens was a bit dirty before I let it go. I put it on a Brugmansia leaf for the photo and it started eating it right away!
Amber and Ann I think you're right. The one in the video does look a lot like it. Very cool time lapse too!
Check out this video I ran across...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQFd-ftM6Pc at 1:15 to about 1:30 the markings resemble your caterpillar. Maybe its just a young Salt Marsh caterpillar?
Here's the best match I could find
http://bugguide.net/node/view/442763/bgi...
Maybe Salt Marsh Moth - Estigmene acrea
http://bugguide.net/node/view/3242/bgima...
I'm not sure, I don't see the red bands on the skin in my spotting that I see in all the photos. It has more red on the hair than on the body. Could it be its age?