(no subject)

[podling]

I forgot to post about the scary man-eating caterpillars I found in my house the other day (eating one of my coffee trees, the bastards!). And now that I know what caterpillar crap looks like, there won't be much of a delay in getting rid of them next time.

I'd hide the link, but it amuses me that "Hairy" is it's category. I found this in the american part of whatcaterpillaristhis.co.uk

http://www.javajane.co.uk/Hairy/slides/saddleback_caterpillars.html

And here's some scarier pics...
http://bugguide.net/node/view/507

Comments

[betra.livejournal.com]

You have Saddle'pillars? EW EW!

[podling]

Ohmigawd so gross! I didn't kill them though. I took their leaves with them attached and launched them over the balcony towards some hostas.

[betra.livejournal.com]

Not to sound like a cruel person, but I would have gotten out a shoe and started smushing

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

I have it on authority that they don't feel pleasant when they sting. Saw one last weekend along the Appalachian Trail.

As far as categories, they're one of the Slug Caterpillars (at least according to Caterpillars of Eastern Forests (http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/insects/cateast/sibistim.htm) which hasn't steered me wrong yet! =)

To see a really fun one, back up one or go to the Slug Caterpillars page and check out the Monkey Slug!

[podling]

Yeah, but then there would've been icky caterpillar insides all over the place, which I would've had to clean up. Ew.

[betra.livejournal.com]

I would have done it on the balcony

hehe

And let the rain and snow take care of the stains.

[rowancat.livejournal.com]

Watch out for the "hairs". Natural defenses.
And these ones are caffeinated too.

And if you see any with tiny pixies riding in
the "saddles" you may want to cut back on coffee too ;)

[d2leddy.livejournal.com]

Yes, but whilsat you besmear the homely caterpillar, you've forgotten that it might turn into something , you know, beautiful.

[podling]

It doesn't. I looked. But then, I'm not a huge moth fan anyway.

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

[invoke political-candidate-on-the-campaign-trail vocice] I've never been involved in a smear campaign against catapillars.

[aside, to handlers...] Pictures of that gypsy moth genocide binge I went on back in the early '80's didn't make it out into the wild, did they?

[cissa.livejournal.com]

*choke*

[tanaise.livejournal.com]

I still think they look like scotties.