Strange Caterpillar
Location: Olathe, Kansas
October 3, 2011 7:22 pm
We saw this caterpillar today in the parking lot of a local nature center. No one in our group had ever seen one like it before. It was about three to four inches long and about half an inch thick.
We tried to shift it onto a piece of paper to move it into the grass; it reacted by violently wriggling side to side, almost like a snake. (We stopped trying and left it alone.)
Any idea what it is?
Signature: Joyce and Josh

White-Lined Sphinx Caterpillar

Dear Joyce and Josh,
This is the highly variable caterpillar of the White Lined Sphinx or Striped Morning Sphinx, Hyles lineata.  In addition to this black form, some individuals are green and others are yellow.  The caterpillars of the White-Lined Sphinx are edible.

Thanks very much for the information!  We appreciate it but we will not be eating any White-Lined Sphinx caterpillars anytime soon.

green/yellow thingy
Location: Andalucia
September 30, 2011 7:38 am
Hi, I found this on the floor near to a stream in La Hoz, Rute, Spain. Any ideas please
Signature: Tiddy

Death's Head Hawkmoth Caterpillar

Hi Tiddy,
This is the caterpillar of a Death’s Head Hawkmoth, Acherontia atropos, the European member of a genus that contains two other Asian moths with the same common name.  The common name refers to the skull pattern on the thorax of the adult moth.  The Animal Pictures Archive website contains some interesting information, including:  “These moths have several unusual features. All three species have the ability to emit a loud squeak if irritated. The sound is produced by expelling air from the pharynx, often accompanied by flashing of the brightly-colored abdomen in a further attempt to deter predators. All three species are commonly observed raiding beehives of different species of honey bee for honey; A. atropos only attacks colonies of the well-known Western honey bee, Apis mellifera. They are able to move about in hives unmolested because they mimic the scent of the bees.”