What is this?
Location: Kentucky
August 22, 2011 6:11 am
This floated down to a picnic area, seems to have 4 legs, it turned it’s head so we know it was alive. Not sure if is bug or vertabrate creature. An adelgid maybe? But only appers to have 4 legs.
Signature: Curious in Maine
Dear Curious in Maine,
We are curious what you were doing in Kentucky. We are not sure what this is, but we feel greatly confident that this is not an insect, nor do we believe it is an animal. It is most definitely NOT a Spun Glass Caterpillar.
My friend and her family were picnic-ing in a park. This creature floated down and she got it on her finger. It was definitely alive because it turned it’s head. I will ask if she got any other photos of it.
THANKS
Update: September 2, 2011
We have a new theory based in part on the comment we received: “Speculation over there is that, like you said, it’s not a spun glass slug caterpillar, but it may be just part of one. Maybe a bird got one and shook it at the tentacle floated down and still had some reflex action that made it appear alive.” A new letter we just received that appears to be a Spun Glass Caterpillar that is losing its appendages or tentacles has made the comment we received seem correct. We would amend the theory to allow for the possibility that Spun Glass Caterpillars might shed their tentacles just prior to pupation.