"I get the point!" ~~~~~

I could have sworn that someone would think that I might be trying to be patriotic and guessed "blue" as today's color, but no-one did. And yes, though rare, there are blue caterpillars (Sugary Gray Moth). But this was not one of them. If you had guessed gray, black(inshalla), brown(odie), yellow(prionbrain & jif3D) and orange, then you would have been correct! ;'] Leeco posted an image of one of these not to long ago, and some of you may recognize this one from our recent Macro Genre contest. Have a super weekend everyone! ----- Fir Tussock Moth (Orgyia detrit) Family: Tussock Moths (Lymantriidae) Other Common Name: Live Oak Tussock Moth Tussock moth caterpillars are occasionally abundant and widespread in northcentral Florida. Besides the annoying presence of numerous hairy caterpillars, these insects may spin their difficult-to-remove cocoons on houses, boats, picnic tables and other outdoor articles. Feeding by the caterpillars usually has little impact on oak trees, their preferred hosts, but wind-blown caterpillars may land on and defoliate small trees and shrubs around the yard. Life Cycle: Hatch from the overwintering eggs starts around March 1 when oak trees are flushing. Caterpillars feed and grow over a period of 4 to 6 weeks. The 2-week long pupal stage occurs from early to mid April. Male moths emerge and fly to the wingless females from mid April into early May. Females lay a mass of eggs on their cocoons. Depending on the species, there is either no further activity until the following spring, or the eggs will hatch after a few weeks and produce another generation. Identification: The most common of the 3 Orgyia species we have in Florida is Orgyia detrita. Caterpillars of this species generally are dark bodied with a red head, 2 black "hair pencils" projecting forward like antennae, 4 dense tufts of hair (tussocks) on the back, and a fluffy tuft projecting to the rear like a tail. Unique to this species are the orange-colored spots along the back and sides. Caterpillars of the whitemarked tussock moth, Orgyia leucostigma, are similar looking but are distinguished by their lighter body color and yellow spots. The rarely-encountered third species, Orgyia definita, has a yellow or tan head to go with its pale body, hair pencils and tussocks. Range: Atlantic coast from Long Island to FL and west to Texas. More common than O. leucostigma in FL. Remarks: The hairs of the ccaterpillar may cause irritation to sensitive skin if you handle them, though they are not among the stinging caterpillars. -----

Thanks for your prickly comments on my previous upload, White Spikey ----- Panasonic DMC-FZ50 & PhotoshopCS. (891) Boca Raton, FL, USA 2007 Sponsored by: Kramer Kreations