Citheronia Regalis
So my sister and Tommy found a rather interesting caterpillar this weekend. I wasn’t able to get a good picture of it since my camera is still broke and I have yet to send it to the manufacturer. Using some of our book resources here at work, I was able to find out that it’s called the “Regal Moth“, with other nicknames such as the “Hickory Horned Devil” and the “Pine Devil Moth.” As you can see, it’s a pretty crazy looking creature, and I’ve actually only seen these twice in my life. Once when I was 9 years old down on the old farm, and then this weekend.
After its photo shoot, I promptly let it go back by the sacred circle. But I thought it was an interesting find. The little horns and spikes along its body are very hard, almost like exoskeleton hard, and it was baby blue in color. They feed on foliage of hickory, walnut, butternut, ash, and sumac. In the south they feed on sweet gum and persimmion. They usually take flight around midsummer and are found in the Eastern United States, most common in the southern part (which is probably why I’ve only ever seen two). It is one of the biggest caterpillars in the U.S. and can get around 6 inches long.
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