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azalea caterpillar?

Description:

This fancy looking caterpillar was feeding on leaves in a dry creek bed near Navajo Lake, NM. It was dark brown - nearly black - with white hairs, pale yellow stripes on its body, and a bright, translucent red face.

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22 Comments

textless
textless 12 years ago

Thanks ChicquitaRajawali :)

Chicquita
Chicquita 12 years ago

Similar to Vine Moth Caterpillar ... :)

textless
textless 12 years ago

Interesting... I knew about the pose but not the secretions. This one must not have been feeling agitated enough to take it to the next level. Thanks Eric!

EricEllison
EricEllison 12 years ago

ive read that they do this pose when agitated, if severely they secrete from both ends until danger passes

textless
textless 12 years ago

Thanks Carol! It does look a fair amount like the Walnut Moth Datana integerrima (http://bugguide.net/node/view/3234), and they've been spotted in AZ... but I didn't find any where the coloring seemed quite right. I wish I'd gotten better photos of the bush it was feeding on. It's really common around here, but I don't know the name and now all the leaves have dropped.

CarolSnowMilne
CarolSnowMilne 12 years ago

oops Wrong ID. Reminds me of Walnut Moth Caterpillar

CarolSnowMilne
CarolSnowMilne 12 years ago

What treat did you bribe him with to perform like a seal. HA! Yes, I really love caterpillars a lot too! It reminds me of my Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar. I think it will be a tree or plant native to New Mexico then. Great photos again! You are very talented.

textless
textless 12 years ago

Thanks Carol and Eric. I was really happy to get close to an ID, and hope to figure out the exact species eventually. Caterpillars are so much fun. :)

EricEllison
EricEllison 12 years ago

yea i couldnt narrow it down either..good find :) definately datana sp.

CarolSnowMilne
CarolSnowMilne 12 years ago

Great series of photos! Caterpillars are some of my favorite subjects to photograph. But then again, I only have a 10 year old Panasonic DMC-FZ10

auntnance123
auntnance123 12 years ago

Good. I was searching something else and ran across an image that made me say-I know that caterpillr. Great photos btw.

textless
textless 12 years ago

Thanks for the suggestion, auntnance... It looks a lot like a datana major, but as far as I can tell they don't live this far west. But it has to be something really close.

textless
textless 12 years ago

Thanks Pulkit.Singal and KarenL. It does look kind of like a little dragon. :)

auntnance123
auntnance123 12 years ago

Look at the azalea caterpillars, they all seem to have this "rearing" habit.

KarenL
KarenL 12 years ago

Wow, amazing! Looks like a dragon from the chinese new year celebrations!

Pulkit.Singal
Pulkit.Singal 12 years ago

great mustache it have !!!

textless
textless 12 years ago

Thanks Cindy, Doina, and Ashish! The pose was really neat to see... like it was king or queen of the bush. :)

Ashish Nimkar
Ashish Nimkar 12 years ago

These Butterfly caterpillars are very amazing...!!

DoinaRussu
DoinaRussu 12 years ago

great series! good details and ....funny posture!:) my compliments!

CindyBinghamKeiser
CindyBinghamKeiser 12 years ago

I think it's doing yoga :) Great pics

textless
textless 12 years ago

Thanks Art3! I've never seen another caterpillar quite like it.

Art3
Art3 12 years ago

Nice photos

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Spotted by
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Colorado, USA

Spotted on Oct 9, 2011
Submitted on Oct 9, 2011

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