Camouflage! There are FOUR!!! All gone!

[Edwina's Secretary]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid212/p7505a2b9bcbc426812dc70387079b817/ed4afdfd.jpg
Do you see anything different in this photo??

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid212/pad2bf392222018ef1a52869543ffdb08/ed4afeb7.jpg
A catapillar! Very big and very fat....

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid212/p0db4f8c6d7188dc9d8d998b1bf9373c5/ed4af14f.jpg
and very hungry....here you can see about 12 hours later....it has eaten most the leaves off a couple of branches!

I sure hope it makes a pretty butterfly!

[zoey]

Me too! I wonder what color it's wings will be?

[Randi]

Wow, that was one hungry caterpillar - and what a good disguise!! Amazing! Do you think his family were there too? A good thing the E's didn't notice, or was is too high for them? :D

[GreyhoundGirl]

At that rate, it's gonna be a fat butterfly, too. You will have to go on a diet, soon, little bug. :rolleyes:

[lizbud]

Wow, I didn't spot it at all in the first picture. Perfect camouflage. Hope
that wasn't a favorite plant.

[Laura's Babies]

Gee whiz, how did YOU ever spot it to start with. I think it would be impossiable to see unless you were up close.

[Killearn Kitties]

Oh no! Don't let Eddie see it.

[Edwina's Secretary]

I just went out to check on progress and could hardly find the guy! Took me quite a few minutes....
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid212/p1eae50e485e2c33db9d08932cd1c7428/ed4a6796.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid212/pe744bb57aa6bffdb445950199fb2a8de/ed4a6b50.jpg
(A face only a mother could love!)

Not to worry....he is too high and too hidden for our boy Eddie.....

[Blue_Frog]

Thats a cute, fat caterpiller you have yourself there! :D

I think your friend might be either the "Tomato Hornworm" (Manduca
quinquemaculata L.) , which would turn into a Five-Spotted Hawk Moth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manduca_quinquemaculata) -- or a "Tobacco Hornworm" (Manduca sexta L.) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_hornworm).

Heres some more strange-green caterpillars (i've always been facinated in insects!)

http://whatsthatbug.com/caterpillar_2.html (and)
http://bugguide.net/node/view/4747

[Freckles]

Could you please take a ruler and measure the guy?
It's difficult to tell how big he is. Thanks, :)

[Killearn Kitties]

A Tomato Hornworm??? :eek: OMG - keep it away from Lizbud!

[Karen]

My brain is differently wired than much of humanity, I guess - I immediately saw the caterpiggle, then wondered was kind of plant it was, but was also loooking for one of the E-cats - until I read the text!

[sirrahbed]

I am like Karen I think - because I did see the critter right away, but I agree that it is excellent and amazing camouflage!!

It really does look like one of those moths that Blue Frog posted - do you think?? Maybe Freckles will have more ideas once she knows the size...

Could you perhaps clip off a branch or two with it and save it to a ventilated jar so that you can keep watching as it becomes a cocoon...pupa....chrysalis (whateever you call that stage) and then becomes moth or betterfly?? I used to do that when I was a girl - it was so interesting and then fun to release :)

[Barbara]

Oh- I never saw a cat-a-pillar like this- do you think a kitten will come out ;)

[lizbud]

A Tomato Hornworm??? :eek: OMG - keep it away from Lizbud!


Will it ever end? LOL :D :D Seriously though, if you look at the first pic
right about in the middle is what looks like a sort of praying mantis type
insect. Does anyone else see it?

[Edwina's Secretary]

It is slightly over 3 inches long. Sorry, I didn't get a circumference.... :D

Deb...the way this guy eats....I would have to put more than a couple branches to feed it!

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid212/pb5ac6f666c8d863d62446adb9f024bf7/ed48d7dd.jpg

And I gave up smoking years ago....no tobacco here!

[Bengalz]

Wow :eek: I sure hope we get to see the butterfly :D

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

:eek: OMG, I have NEVER seen such a huge caterpillar!!! That will be a huge butterfly!!

[ramanth]

We used to find those in my mom's tomato plants all the time.

Nice photos! I hope he cocoons in the plant for you. :)

[cyber-sibes]

wow, that is one big caterpiller! :eek: Watch out - he may eat you out of house-plant and home! He looks about ready to burst- maybe he's getting ready to make a cocoon?

[gini]

Thank goodness you don't have to buy him shoes!

[Edwina's Secretary]

Still growing! I just went to check on it....and still chomping away at the leaves on my tree. It has a (relatively) huge mouth that just NEVER stops!

[k9krazee]

Wow! It's huge!

[zippy-kat]

It has a (relatively) huge mouth that just NEVER stops!

Hey! I have a family member like that... *eyes sister*


I hope this guy sticks around so we can see his development. Does he have a name yet? He reminded me of Heimlich (http://www.disney2go.disneyfansites.com/heimlich02rm.gif) off of "It's a Bug's Life."

[Edwina's Secretary]

How long is this guy going to be at the buffet?????

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid212/pefd40f0f30f47e3457356887661f8a2d/ed3f2664.jpg

[Barbara]

It's difficult to judge from here- do you think he has been growing since you watch him?

[dragonfly]

Great catepillar, that last pic is realy great, I would frame it. Blue Frog that first website was great, I think I'll add that one to my faves.

[Edwina's Secretary]

No wonder it seemed the guy moved so much...there are four! Can you see at least THREE in this photo?

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid212/p48e4cbf534e5c2bab17786325bf316ba/ed3c93a1.jpg

(Right, left and two toward the center....)

[Killearn Kitties]

Four? For heaven's sake, by this time next week that bush will look like the locusts have been through!

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Wow!!! Great pics, Sara!!! Cannot wait to see the "finished" thing!!

[cyber-sibes]

Wow, that close-up is really a great shot! Four of them? I hope your poor plant survives :confused:

[Barbara]

Hmmmm- if you don't want your plant to be eaten -as there are now enough of them maybe you should eat them yourself. :p

Either the Mexican way: 4 caterpillars arranged landscape-wise on white rice with red salsa.

Or the Italian way: 4 caterpillars arranged portrait-wise on pasta with tomato sauce :D

[Edwina's Secretary]

Will you be joining me for dinner? :D :D

[Blue_Frog]

... and all that came to mind just now was that scene from the Lion King of Timon getting Simba to eat one of those big Grubs ...

"Slimy, yet satisfying!"
http://www.lionking.org/imgarchive/Act_2/TimonGrabsBugs2.jpg


The insectarium in Montreal has occasional 'Bug Tasting' exhibits ... i ate something there a couple years ago that was crunchy and dipped in chocolate (dont remember what)...
http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/insectarium/en/index.php?section=24&intParent=3

[pitc9]

Yikes! Thoes guys are big!
How fun that you get to watch the grow (and eat every bit of green in site)
I hope they stick around for a while!!

[The_Duck]

I see two, maybe three in that 'group shot'. I'm not so sure your plant is gonna make it, but I think they're kinda cute. :o

[Edwina's Secretary]

They are gone and I cannot find where they are caccooning.... Although I did find Edwina talking to one as it hurried off.... :D

[cyber-sibes]

Maybe it was telling Edwina where they were going...or maybe just asking her for directions, being that she is a knowledgable cat. :)

[Barbara]

Admit it! You wrapped them in bacon and.....