Observation date: July 11, 2020
Date notes: The photos are back from the week of july 19th.
I found that these are crowned slug caterpillars.
However everything I can find about them is not what my observations were.
This spring my bf was laid off due to COVID and stated helping at his dads house. I started spending a lot of time over there mostly wandering around the yard (god I want a yard.)
I grew up in the middle of no where and I love nature and have a keen eye for the smallest details.
I started to notice there was some small plant getting demolished. I looked all around and ONLY that plant was being ravished all over the large yard.
The plant was just a weed. I looked and carefully flipped leaves. It was about a week and a half I found the first adorable little monster. A crowned slug Caterpillar I found out after some research. Or at least I believe. It looks 99.99% like the on3a I find online, however this guy had a "Tail".
I kept him a couple days with the leaves it wats a few days to observe before release (unless it was invasive which I have still not found any information, so I let it go.) Whenever the container was moved it would stick its "tail" out as if to defend itself this way similar to a scorpion.
It made sense as they are venomous. But I have not found a single one with a tail like this.
I also read they are often only found after a strong rain becasue they're usually in the tree canopy and get knocked down.
Everything I have read talk about their preference of maple and oak leaves, also other trees.
But this was not just one to fall from a tree. Tere were hundreds all over the yard. The plant they were solely eating/demolishing? Deadly nightshade. A small plant related to tomatoes, but deadly.
After weeks of watching them, they all stopped moving and seemed to "grow" some weird thing off their back. I think it is parasitic, but maybe how they start to cocoon, or a type of fungi? It was growing out of their backs line rotten wings.
From What I observed (a rough guess) less than 5% did not have this growth?
Just very curious about it all becasue I am unable to find info on something like this specifically.
Submitted by: Aw2
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: 07/15/2020
I found that these are crowned slug caterpillars.
However everything I can find about them is not what my observations were.
This spring my bf was laid off due to COVID and stated helping at his dads house. I started spending a lot of time over there mostly wandering around the yard (god I want a yard.)
I grew up in the middle of no where and I love nature and have a keen eye for the smallest details.
I started to notice there was some small plant getting demolished. I looked all around and ONLY that plant was being ravished all over the large yard.
The plant was just a weed. I looked and carefully flipped leaves. It was about a week and a half I found the first adorable little monster. A crowned slug Caterpillar I found out after some research. Or at least I believe. It looks 99.99% like the on3a I find online, however this guy had a "Tail".
I kept him a couple days with the leaves it wats a few days to observe before release (unless it was invasive which I have still not found any information, so I let it go.) Whenever the container was moved it would stick its "tail" out as if to defend itself this way similar to a scorpion.
It made sense as they are venomous. But I have not found a single one with a tail like this.
I also read they are often only found after a strong rain becasue they're usually in the tree canopy and get knocked down.
Everything I have read talk about their preference of maple and oak leaves, also other trees.
But this was not just one to fall from a tree. Tere were hundreds all over the yard. The plant they were solely eating/demolishing? Deadly nightshade. A small plant related to tomatoes, but deadly.
After weeks of watching them, they all stopped moving and seemed to "grow" some weird thing off their back. I think it is parasitic, but maybe how they start to cocoon, or a type of fungi? It was growing out of their backs line rotten wings.
From What I observed (a rough guess) less than 5% did not have this growth?
Just very curious about it all becasue I am unable to find info on something like this specifically.
Status: Resident
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: December 18, 2020
Coordinator notes: None.
