I had seen this guy for a couple of days stretched out on the concrete and unmoving, maybe having gotten a too-early jump on spring. Thinking him perhaps dead, I picked him up and brought him inside to have a look. Not only was he very much alive, but in the warmer temperature and having been moved about he became a near perpetual motion machine, rolling over and over like a puppy wanting a belly rub. He had perhaps wintered over but hadn't gotten a real start on a yet unrealized spring; I don't know why he might have chosen the concrete in plain view of potential predators as a resting site before beginning the next phase of his journey to becoming a moth. Wanting to have a closer look at him but unwilling to interfere with his future plans in a permanent way and therefore unable to do any sort of stacking, I thought it might be interesting to explore what could be done with a small (2-3 inch) wriggling creature with a regular macro lens and electronic flash, followed by the application of whatever digital manipulation and vicious cropping I could muster.
Larval forms have both temporary prolegs (lower segments) and 6 real legs, here with claws (which will persist in the eventual moth).
Detail view of proleg.
This predominantly black creature with narrow reddish bands suggests late development under favorable growing conditionsl
Detail of how the proleg works.
Prolegs and true legs both have work to do.
Leonard Turner
Wooly Bear
Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau
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Re: Wooly Bear
These are impressive photos for such a wiggly little critter!
- MarkSturtevant
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Re: Wooly Bear
Very nice! This particular species is Hypercompe scribonia, and it becomes what is known as the "leopard moth", which is a stunning creature: https://bugguide.net/node/view/1933406/bgimage
I've seen a few of these caterpillars in the Fall, but not nearly as many as the regular one with the broad red-brown band in the middle. Those commonly revive when we get a warm spell late in the winter. I just had one crawling across my porch and I suppose it was overwintering in the crevice between the ground and house, and that is why it wound up wandering on my porch. It would seem more sensible to pupate and overwinter like that, but no....
I've seen a few of these caterpillars in the Fall, but not nearly as many as the regular one with the broad red-brown band in the middle. Those commonly revive when we get a warm spell late in the winter. I just had one crawling across my porch and I suppose it was overwintering in the crevice between the ground and house, and that is why it wound up wandering on my porch. It would seem more sensible to pupate and overwinter like that, but no....
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters
Dept. of Still Waters
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Re: Wooly Bear
My thanks to you both!
Leonard
Leonard