Sunday, January 17, 2010

Caterpillar Question

This was on the ground by the front gate, and could possibly have dropped from the gum tree overhead. It was about 3cm long, and a bright green. I've checked online and it doesn't seem to be a goat moth caterpillar or a witchety grub (wrong colour). Whatever it becomes at the end of its cycle is likely to be large! Any ideas, anyone?
There is so much bracken on our property that often all you hear of animals and lizards is a thumping or skittering as they run away. I caught this guy napping. His head popped up and he stared at me as if stunned, then after a few long seconds, decided to make a run for it.
This particular walk was full of kookaburras - I think I heard several different choruses from at least a dozen different bird groups. I'm convinced that they warn everything that I'm coming!

4 comments:

Denis Wilson said...

Hi Sherryl
I think your Caterpillar will develop into the Emperor Gum Moth.
Cheers
Denis

Sherryl said...

Hi Denis,
I think you might be right. It certainly has those tiny blue protuberances when you enlarge the photo (which is a bit blurry then, I'm afraid).
I wouldn't have picked it from the net because many of the photos make it look blue or white!

Lorraine said...

I'm sure cockatoos tell their feathered friends that you're around. I feel they even point to where you are. I've had that happen at Mansfield and it comes across as a real warning.

Mosura said...

Have a look at the closely related Helena Gum Moth - Opodiphthera helena

 
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