Hi, today I would like to share this beautiful caterpillar with you.
This caterpillar looks like it is ready for a night out on the town. This is one of the most beautiful caterpillars that I have yet had the privilege to raise and to photograph.
Because of the fact that these caterpillars are the same shape and eat the same food plant as the “Bird tear feeding moth” that I shared last week, I automatically thought that it was the same species when I discovered these caterpillars. But it is a totally different species of moth and they are quite common in our area.
This moth is called the Dot Underwing moth. On the outside it is a rather bland looking moth that easily blends into a dark environment. But if disturbed and made to fly, the underwings of this moth are bright orange with a single black spot. The first few times that I saw one of these fly out of the grass, I thought it was a butterfly.
When small the caterpillars look like little inch worms and don’t have much colour at all but they quickly grow and change into rather beautiful larvae.
The food plant of the caterpillar is the Smilax Creeper, and the adult moth is known to feed of fermenting fruit.
Please feel free to visit my Photography page for more pictures of God’s amazing little creatures found in and around the Bluff: www.facebook.com/WkDickPhotography
God Bless
Warren.K.Dick
