A nice big huntsman decided to visit - I think he/she likes the warm bricks at night. Hopefully he/she won't make a habit of it! I like them better outside where they belong.
We have had some trees cut down recently for bushfire safety (way too close to the house - less than 5 metres) and found some caterpillars on the trees.
This is caterpillar 2 - also about 3 inches long.
6 comments:
Happy New Year of Blogging, Sherryl.
Love the Looper Caterpillar.
They always make me smile when I see them.
Cheers
Denis
Happy New Year to you, too, Denis.
Thanks for telling me the name of that caterpillar - any idea of the green one?
Hi Sherryl
Don't thank me too much - it is a popular name for more than 1000 species.
It is interesting to read the origin of the name, though, and get an idea of the Moths into which they develop.
Nearly all flat-winged Moths, looking "delta winged" when perched.
http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/geometridae/geometridae.html
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The green one looks like one of the large and powerful Hawk Moths.
Check out the "late instar" (well developed Caterpillar) of this species:
http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/satu/eucaly.html
Hope that helps.
Denis
Sorry Wrong link
This is the Hawk Moth I meant:
http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/sphi/anceus.html
Copy and paste link.
Thanks. I've been also intrigued by the huge caterpillars that burrow into the ground. I often find their "remains" when they emerge. Think I posted photos of some last year.
Snail suggested those ones were goat moths.
Your post of April 7 last year "From out of the Earth" correctly identified a Ghost Moth, as Snail suggested. Similar species are also known as Rain Moths and Bardee Grubs.
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But they live underground at the Caterpillar stage, and are not seen except when the moth emerges, leaving the Chrysalis behind. That is what you photographed last year.
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The green caterpillar you have shown this week does not live underground. That's why I suggest you consider the Hawk Moth family.
If you go looking for more, you ought check for a soft "horn" which is typical of these moths (at the Caterpillar stage). Most, (but not the one I linked to) also have prominent false "eye spots".
Browse through the Hawk Moths on that site of Don Herbison-Evans.
It will show you the diagnostic signs to look for.
Hope those comments help.
Denis
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