Camouflage! There are FOUR!!! All gone!

**Edwina's Secretary** · 08-27-2006, 11:24 AM

Do you see anything different in this photo??

A catapillar! Very big and very fat....

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** · 08-27-2006, 11:39 AM

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

**Randi** · 08-27-2006, 11:39 AM

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?

**GreyhoundGirl** · 08-27-2006, 11:41 AM

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

**lizbud** · 08-27-2006, 12:22 PM

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

**Laura's Babies** · 08-27-2006, 12:54 PM

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** · 08-27-2006, 01:13 PM

Oh no! Don't let Eddie see it.

**Edwina's Secretary** · 08-27-2006, 01:25 PM

I just went out to check on progress and could hardly find the guy! Took me quite a few minutes....

(A face only a mother could love!)

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

**Blue_Frog** · 08-27-2006, 02:03 PM

Thats a cute, fat caterpiller you have yourself there!

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** · 08-27-2006, 02:04 PM

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

**Killearn Kitties** · 08-27-2006, 02:13 PM

A Tomato Hornworm???

OMG - keep it away from Lizbud!

**Karen** · 08-27-2006, 02:51 PM

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** · 08-27-2006, 03:27 PM

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** · 08-27-2006, 03:27 PM

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

**lizbud** · 08-27-2006, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by Killearn Kitties

A Tomato Hornworm???

OMG - keep it away from Lizbud!

Will it ever end? LOL

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?