Land Lobster

What am I looking at?

This is a nearly fully grown caterpillar of the lobster moth (Stauropus fagi) in a defensive pose. These caterpillars have an unusual, crustacean-like appearance, with segmented thoracic legs, the second and third pair of which are extraordinarily long (1), and four pairs of walking prolegs (2). Their last abdominal segment is significantly swollen (3). The caterpillar’s cuticle has a coarse, sandpapery texture, and the humps on its fourth through seventh segments are studded with sharp spikes (4).

Click on the right arrow to see additional views of this caterpillar.

Biology in the background

These caterpillars and moths live all over Europe, in most of the Middle East, and in central and northern Asia, including Russia. When the caterpillars hatch, they spend their entire first instar (developmental stage) eating only the eggshell from which they hatched. As they grow, they feed on the leaves of a variety of trees, depending on where within Eurasia they’re located. They are often found on beeches, whose genus is Fagus, from which the lobster moth’s species name was derived. The lobster moth’s genus, Stauropus, was derived from the Greek words stauros and pous, meaning “stick” and “foot,” respectively – a reference to its elongated thoracic appendage.

These caterpillars have a peculiar and unusual defensive strategy; when disturbed, they raise their swollen abdomen and the front of their body up and unfold their four exceptionally long – for a caterpillar – forelegs. They kick their legs at the foe and intermittently shake them vigorously. When viewed from above, this caterpillar resembles a giant ant or a spider. It is disputable exactly what effect it’s trying to achieve. But whatever it is mimicking, it probably isn’t a lobster!

These caterpillars can reach up to 70 millimeters long, about the size of a human pinky finger. The wingspan of an adult moth can be about the same size.

Technique

These images were created using macrophotography.