Caterpillar Agglomerates

Description:

At sunset, these larvae all return to each other from their feeding expeditions and sleep in tight little masses. I am not sure if they are Nymphalid larvae or Saturniid larvae. While still very small, they find protection in forming spiny larval balls low in the grass. These might be the first or second instars of the Buck Moth. Our most common species is the Tricolor Buck Moth, Hemileuca tricolor (http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/193...).

Habitat:

Overgrown field, semi-urban area, outskirts of San Cristobal de Las Casas, 2,200 meters.