#white blotched heterocampa moth

[onenicebugperday]

@fuckingcheerybeery submitted: Precious pink baby spotted on the sidewalk in Central Florida!

A beautiful pink child! I love them deeply. Looks like a white-blotched prominent moth caterpillar, Heterocampa umbrata.

[bugfarm]

White Blotched Heterocampa moth caterpillar (Heterocampa umbrata)

[tokyonymph]

Heterocampa umbrata (White-blotched Heterocampa Moth), Family Notodontidae. Spotted on an on-campus hallway wall at my Florida college on this day, January 28th, 2022.

[calosoma-amitch]

White-blotched Heterocampa (Heterocampa umbrata), Fishers Island NY. June 2017.  The mottling on the moth’s wings allow it to blend into the bark of many hardwood trees and lichens, allowing it to avoid predators like birds. Caterpillars are specialist feeders, meaning they can only feed on one or two kinds of plants in order to grow and develop. White-blotched heterocampas feed exclusively on oaks.  Two generations per year, with adults appearing in the spring (soon after oak trees leaf out), and again in the summer. Caterpillars appear throughout the summer and overwinter as pupae. 

[onenicebugperday]

@gerardwayverified​ sumbitted: Absolutely cannot identify this caterpillar I saw in northern connecticut...any idea what it might be?

A pink friend! It’s a type of prominent moth called the white-blotched heterocampa, Heterocampa umbrata. Adults are very well camouflaged and can be any combination of mottled grey, brown, black, and green!

Photo credit: adriananelly, gaudettelaura, royaltyler, and seabrookeleckie

[onenicebugperday]

@primusesgiantmetalballbearings​ submitted: Found these lil sweethearts in New Hampshire. Would love an id on one or either if you can.

Some babies! I cherish them. The first is a hickory tussock moth and the second is a white-blotched heterocampa moth. There have been reports of adverse skin reactions to touching the hairs on the hickory tussock caterpillar, so I wouldn’t recommend touching these pals with your bare hands. :)