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Anyone know what bug this is?


VicW
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46 minutes ago, JKD said:

Methinks it's a Puss Moth caterpillar 😉

Looks are to deter predators but to people called Vic it's harmless 😊

Yep looks just like and by the colour is about to pupate. They are fantastic being about 2 inches ong and bright green and when touched their heads expand with the bright red face.

Used to have hundreds when i first planted my poplar wood 20yrs ago.  They build an igloo out of spit and chewd up wood on the side of a tree which goes rock hard.  Then in the spring the moth will cut its way out with a special 'tool' on its abdomen.  I did rear some in captivity back then and put the piece of wood with the igloos on out in the garden, I did see one of them emerge.

26 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

I thought the Puss Moth was green.

Yes they are but when about to pupate the colour darkens.

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20 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Yep looks just like and by the colour is about to pupate. They are fantastic being about 2 inches ong and bright green and when touched their heads expand with the bright red face.

Used to have hundreds when i first planted my poplar wood 20yrs ago.  They build an igloo out of spit and chewd up wood on the side of a tree which goes rock hard.  Then in the spring the moth will cut its way out with a special 'tool' on its abdomen.  I did rear some in captivity back then and put the piece of wood with the igloos on out in the garden, I did see one of them emerge.

Yes they are but when about to pupate the colour darkens.

Don't think I've ever seen one TBH 🙁 seen lots of other "bugs" /caterpillars, but don't see the amount now that I saw even 20yrs ago,,,, big shame 😕

These sort of things I find really interesting because of the change/metamorphosis they go through,,,, dragon/damselflies are amazing !!!

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When you see something as spectacular as the caterpillar you expect the same to emerge but in fact the puss moth is quite bland speckled white.  My wife had a summer music school meet at our home when the poplars where just about 8ft high and I challenged the kids to see how many caterpillars they could find. Thinking maybe a dozen, the winner had over 100. I had to quickly find some jam jars as they all wanted to take one home much to the disgust of their mothers. I insisted they studied them and when they made their igloo they put that piece of wood outside so the moth could escape.  We put poplar leaves in the jars and a piece of bark. I did the same and mine produced two igloos and both emerged.

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2 hours ago, Walker570 said:

When you see something as spectacular as the caterpillar you expect the same to emerge but in fact the puss moth is quite bland speckled white.  My wife had a summer music school meet at our home when the poplars where just about 8ft high and I challenged the kids to see how many caterpillars they could find. Thinking maybe a dozen, the winner had over 100. I had to quickly find some jam jars as they all wanted to take one home much to the disgust of their mothers. I insisted they studied them and when they made their igloo they put that piece of wood outside so the moth could escape.  We put poplar leaves in the jars and a piece of bark. I did the same and mine produced two igloos and both emerged.

Great story Walker. 😉  👍     NB

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