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.
“Where were YOU when the invasion began?” 😀
This one was driving me crazy, I just HAD to know what it was. I hope you don’t mind that I cross-posted over to the ID Please! group on Flickr (now closed due to an admin spat, but has a ton of very knowledgeable members). 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. It’s a theory, anyway.
Here’s the thread:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/idplease/discuss/72157627442959897/
That is a good theory.
Please see a new posting on our website that supports your theory that this is a Spun Glass Caterpillar appendage, a body part we have begun calling a tentacle.
We recieved a submission almost identical to this: https://www.insetologia.com.br/2019/11/provavel-androconia-de-mariposa-em.html
We also have Isochaetes in Brazil. I thought it was a coremata, but Kel caled attentio to this posting.
Thanks for letting us know Cesar. Daniel was away for just over a week and did not do any posting to WTB?