I'd never seen (or at least never noticed) one of these creatures before, and I'm loving that turquoise-and-gold hairdo! This is either a Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris) or a Sycamore Tussock Moth (Halysidota harrisii), two species which both occur in the eastern US and can apparently only be told apart by dissection (according to BugGuide.net). In either case, it's a gorgeous moth -- and the caterpillars have some pretty funky hair styles, too!
The garb of this moth is so subtly lovely! You are right about the gold and turquoise! As for the caterpillar ... I WANT that hairdo! ,->
ReplyDeleteWent to Southford Falls yesterday - it was just lovely, as you will see from the blog coming up! I wouldn't recommend lunch from the hot dog truck - nothing natural there - but the site and the trail is tranquil and picturesque - thanks for steering your readers there!
Oh! I'm glad you got a chance to visit Southford Falls and I'm looking forward to reading the blog post! It is a lovely place, hotdog truck notwithstanding. :P
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