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ByRandom
10-06-2005, 01:06 PM
This is really interesting to me. I've lived out in the middle of pretty much nowhere for the past 8-9 months and I'm always pleasantly surprised at the animals I find around on my land. I've had a family of road runners living on the land since I've moved in. Gophers, rabbits, birds of all kinds, hawks, and huge insects.. That's where this find comes in.. This is the biggest.. Well no, you have to see it to believe it.

<img src="http://www.geckophiles.com/images/cat1.jpg">

<img src="http://www.geckophiles.com/images/cat2.jpg">

<img src="http://www.geckophiles.com/images/cat3.jpg">

<img src="http://www.geckophiles.com/images/cat4.jpg">

This is the biggest caterpillar I have ever seen in my life. I was very tempted to keep it to see what it metamorphisized in to, but I realized I had no idea what it ate and all those practical things. So, any insect-nuts out there that know what this is?

And just for your information, the thought of caterpillars being really fat and sluggish is such a myth, at least for this one. It was strong, snakelike. Whenever I was manuvering it for the photos, I could feel it's muscles rippling. :rofl:

PaulSage
10-06-2005, 01:34 PM
I don't know what it is, but you might get a better response if you post it in the Insects/Arachnids forum. Besides, then it wouldn't be OT. :hehe:

ByRandom
10-06-2005, 01:39 PM
Good idea. What's the old saying "Burning the midnight oil" or something to that affect. Brain doesn't work that well. I just feel so at home at the Leopard Gecko forum! Lol

cbusdave
10-06-2005, 03:14 PM
it's Heimlich from the movie - A Bug's Life

Karen Hulvey
10-06-2005, 09:05 PM
it's Heimlich from the movie - A Bug's Life:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
That was funny.

smallpenguinarm
10-07-2005, 11:20 AM
Can't tell you what it is exactly, but you can see the ventral heart in the second pic. It may be ready to pupate. I would say stick it in a container of dirt and see if it immediately burrows down. It looks a bit sickly though.

Cat_72
10-07-2005, 12:05 PM
I remember seeing those as a kid......haven't seen one in YEARS. I wanted to say it's a Luna moth, but I don't think that's right either.

I hope SOMEONE knows, now you've got ME curious.

smallpenguinarm
10-07-2005, 12:09 PM
It has those angly lines of a sphinx moth, but the larvae is dark and overly plump. I don't think it is healthy.

ByRandom
10-07-2005, 12:22 PM
I released it right after I took the pictures as I do with most of the "Wild life" that I capture on film. I would had loved to see what it turned in to, though. Although if it was sickly, I may never know, heh. I just thought that it was an interesting find. I guess that's what happens when a "city slicker" moves to the country, haha. Anywho, thank you all for the comments.

John Apple
10-07-2005, 03:24 PM
Looks to be a luna moth on steroids, I have seen only a few up here and they look very similiar.
That caterpiller will wrap leaves around the very hard to puncture cocoon and sit all winter on a tree branch

YJHB
10-19-2005, 08:49 PM
Looks like a hornworm; they metamorphose into a hawkmoth...

Rebel Dragons
10-19-2005, 08:55 PM
I still like the "it's Heimlich from the movie - A Bug's Life"


:rofl: