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Salt Marsh Moth

Estigmene acrea

Description:

mostly black with dark red coloring closer to its body, pretty sure this is a very young individual

Habitat:

compost pile

Notes:

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!

1 Species ID Suggestions

Giant Leopard Moth
Hypercompe scribonia Giant Leopard Moth


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7 Comments

Dan Doucette
Dan Doucette 12 years ago

Amber and Ann I think you're right. The one in the video does look a lot like it. Very cool time lapse too!

annorion
annorion 12 years ago

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?

AmberLundeen
AmberLundeen 12 years ago

Here's the best match I could find

http://bugguide.net/node/view/442763/bgi...

AmberLundeen
AmberLundeen 12 years ago

Maybe Salt Marsh Moth - Estigmene acrea

http://bugguide.net/node/view/3242/bgima...

Dan Doucette
Dan Doucette 12 years ago

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?

AmberLundeen
AmberLundeen 12 years ago

Giant Leopard Moth -Hypercompe scribonia

http://bugguide.net/node/view/493

emj.patterson
emj.patterson 12 years ago

Cool pictures all the same! Makes them look a bit artsy even!

Dan Doucette
Spotted by
Dan Doucette

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Ontario, Canada

Spotted on Sep 2, 2011
Submitted on Sep 2, 2011

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