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Sphinx caterpillar #2
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Sphinx caterpillar #2

by David Thomas

Gallery: Weekly ChallengePosted July 21, 201235 views3 comments
Quality not great, but I couldn't resist posting the head of this fellow for its educational value. Along with the jaws and three sets of thoracic legs, three simple eyes are just visible above and right of center. Sadly it drowned overnight in water used to keep the wild grape leaves fresh, so our experiment is over.

Canon 7D as before, 1/30th, f/18, cropped about 80% to show the above details.

Dave Thomas, Leesburg, Virginia

Comments

3 comments
Comment posted by Carolyn Derstine on July 23, 2012 at 12:34 PM
This image is indeed interesting and educational, Dave. I don't know that I have really ever seen a close-up of the strange legs and especially the very unusual eyes of a caterpillar of this type. Does this then turn into the moth that Mike has posted? Nature is always so interesting and amazing to me; thanks for sharing this! Sorry to hear of his demise. . . :rolleyes:
Registered on February 16, 2011, 610 Posts, 3684 Comments
Comment posted by David Thomas on July 27, 2012 at 4:44 PM
Registered on June 21, 2010, 30 Posts, 178 Comments
Comment posted by David Thomas on July 27, 2012 at 4:50 PM
Thanks Carolyn for the comments. I'm not sure about the moth itself. From the incomplete information i have found, the caterpillar may overwinter in some form, with the moth not even appearing until next spring! Nature is so diverse!

I've just posted the whole caterpillar (curled up) in the Macro Gallery. Dave
Registered on June 21, 2010, 30 Posts, 178 Comments