Thursday, September 26, 2013

Imperial Moth

 They're not pretty, at least not in the larva stage. But when this Imperial Moth overwinters and emerges next summer, it'll have beautiful  wings of gold.

Eacles imperialis

 Larva stage - he'll soon bury himself in leaf litter or underground and await next summer's warmth.

 A hairy little devil, isn't he (she?).

Side view of the entire larva.

I've placed the larva atop our concrete bench for better lighting.

This isn't the prettiest creature on the planet, at least not in this stage.

 Click here to read more about this fascinating insect.
 By the way, we discovered this larva by accident. Mom had just stepped out the back door and I saw something squirming beneath one shoe. She had stepped on the very edge of the creature. I told her she was stepping on something which was moving (I didn't then know what it was) and I almost witnessed my 87 year old mother take flight.While she might normally have trouble getting around, she didn't for those first few seconds after I told her of her plight.

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