Subject: Don’t even know where to start
Location: Kanagawa Japan
September 21, 2016 7:50 pm
I’m posting for a friend of mine. He’s stationed in Japan, Kanagawa area. Found this on a hill, walking on road. Not even sure if it’s a bug. Tried centipedes but didn’t find anything, tried mantis but that didn’t look right either. Maybe a catapiller of some sort?
Signature: Theresa
Dear Theresa,
The Lobster Caterpillar, Stauropus fagi, is such an unusual looking creature it is really understandable that you did not know where to begin researching its identity. Lepi-PHotos has some nice images of the adult moth. According to UK Moths: “The larvae live on the leaves of beech (Fagus), oak (Quercus), and several other trees.”
Thank you! It’s funny it’s called a lobster caterpillar, I kept trying to figure out if mantis shrimp could be on land, like a bird had dropped it.
Thank you so much!
Theresa McIntosh