This summer has been FULL of caterpillars! We've had a handful growing up in the critter room all summer, received an awesome visit from The Caterpillar Lab in July, and have been finding new, beautiful caterpillars almost every day. Here are a few that were found crawling around in Montpelier over the past few weeks...
The Modest Sphinx was found crawling around on a signpost in North Branch River Park. It was likely about to venture into the soil, where it will build a cocoon just beneath the ground to spend the winter.
This Fingered Dagger Moth was also found in North Branch River Park, just over the bridge from NBNC. It ate birch leaves for a few days after we found it before spinning a cocoon.
The Luna Moth may be one of the most beautiful of all Vermont's moths. This caterpillar was found wandering on the lawn. It's color changed to pink within an hour, and it had spun a cocoon by the next morning.
This Brown-hooded Owlet was found on goldenrod in the butterfly garden. The caterpillars are stunning, with their intricate pattern of black, yellow and red. It is no wonder that this species is on the cover of Caterpillars of Eastern North America.
Two giant Cecropia Moth caterpillars were found by one of our summer campers in the apple tree right next to the Nature Center. The small white ovals on the caterpillar's back are fly eggs and will parasitize the caterpillar.
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