A Pussy Cat-erpillar
You are probably asking yourself: What does this little alien-looking critter have to do with a pussy cat? In truth, not much -- except the way that the moth this caterpillar transforms into is covered with long luxurious “fur,” making it look something like the Persian cat of the moth world.
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DownloadA Pussy Cat-erpillar
You are probably asking yourself: What does this little alien-looking critter have to do with a pussy cat? In truth, not much -- except the way that the moth this caterpillar transforms into is covered with long luxurious “fur,” making it look something like the Persian cat of the moth world.
What am I looking at?
This is a puss moth caterpillar in the later stages of development. At this stage, these caterpillars have a distinct red and black pattern around their heads (1) and have developed tail forks bearing red extendable flagellae (2) at their tips. Click the right arrow to see more images of this caterpillar and the full-grown moth.
Biology in the Background
These caterpillars live in dense woodlands across Europe, Asia, and North Africa. They prefer to feed on the leaves of willow, poplar, and especially aspen trees. They hatch in the late summer and early fall, gorge themselves on leaves until winter arrives, and then form a tough cocoon, in which they will stay as a pupa all winter before emerging as a moth in the spring.
The long red flagellae on their forked tails serve to distract predators, warning them off or confusing them so that they attack the tail instead of the body. If this does not work, the caterpillar has a formidable secondary defense – it can spray its attacker with a mist of formic acid from a gland below its head as a scare tactic.
This caterpillar can grow up to 80 millimeters (a little over 3 inches), or roughly the size of your ring finger.
Technique
This image was created using macrophotography.
TagsIgor Siwanowicz, HHMI's Janelia Research Campus