On August 8, 2011 at 4:30 in the morning I spotted this Virginian tiger moth (Spilosoma virginica) caterpillar on a sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) leaf. The yellow larva in the top image is an early instar which was about to tranform to its next instar stage. The caterpillar measures 4 cm in length.
The lefthand image in the center photo taken 59 hours later on August 10 shows the caterpillar after it had completed ecdysis. The setae have emerged as a light brownish-orange color. The shed integument-in yellow-can be seen to the right of the caterpillar and is being eaten.
The righthand image in the center photo taken 5 1/2 hours later shows the caterpillar eating the shed integument with not much remaining.
The bottom image shows the caterpillar eating the fern leaf. The colors in the head have darkened since the the cuticle dried and hardened. The larva now measures 2.5 cm in length.
Hi Siobhan,
ReplyDeleteThis is a really great series of shots and very interesting. I had no idea they did that