Scary, Spiny Caterpillar!

Emily D. brought in some photos of a caterpillar her father took this summer. This caterpillar sure is strange! It has a green body with black and red spikes and  black horns all over it’s body!

Well, I had a hard time identifying this caterpillar, but I finally found out what it was–a ‘hickory horned devil’. The adult is a regal moth or royal walnut moth.

Click here is some information about this strange critter!

Emily’s photos are much nicer than this one, but I wanted to show you what it looked like!hickory horned devil2hickory horned devil

12 thoughts on “Scary, Spiny Caterpillar!

  • August 23, 2014 at 10:36 am
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    Thank you for is post. We just found one in our yard and your blog helped us identify it. 🙂

    Reply
  • July 1, 2011 at 12:19 am
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    Is it real? Jezzz, it looks like a toy to me. Scary looking indeed.

    Reply
  • December 20, 2009 at 4:16 pm
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    that caterpillar is creepy lookin’!

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    • February 25, 2011 at 6:06 pm
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      dude. i love caterpillars. that is so cool

      Reply
  • December 20, 2009 at 4:12 pm
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    when my mom firstsaw that creppy caterpilar, she
    screamed so loud! it almost gave me an earache.

    Reply
    • December 20, 2009 at 4:25 pm
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      Emy,
      I think I might have screamed if I saw that caterpillar, too! I wish I had seen it myself!

      Are you enjoying this snow?

      Ms. Lenahan

      Reply
      • December 22, 2009 at 11:48 am
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        @Mary, Yes, I am enjoying this snow. My dad and I were taking pictures in the backyard on saturday morning. my sister and I was trying to make a snowman but we couldn’t because our hands were freezing!

        P.S. I can’t wait to bring
        goodies on Wednesday!

        Reply
  • September 25, 2009 at 8:03 pm
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    Hi Ms.Lenahan! That caterpillar sure is cool! Ok, and it looks big! So Ms.Lenahan does the ‘hickory horned devil’ caterpillar goes through the same cycle as a Monarch butterfly?
    (Ps:Ms.Lenahan I added a new page to my blog go and check it out if (you want).:):D)

    ~Alexandra S.B.

    Reply
  • September 18, 2009 at 12:40 am
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    the bugs where creppy but the dog was cute please look at our mr weatherill.edublogs.org

    Reply
  • September 13, 2009 at 8:24 am
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    The caterpillar is pretty cool! I wonder if it hurt a little when you touch it.Or it trying to warn pretators saying stay a way from me or I will hurt you. Just like how a monarch caterpillar colors warn pretators stay away from it. And I have a question. What instar do you think he or her is in. 2nd instar.

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    • September 13, 2009 at 4:11 pm
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      @arielle609,
      It is pretty cool, isn’t it? From what I read, the spines will not hurt you when you touch it. It is only a warning to predators. Smart bug, huh? I think it is probably a 5th instar. Can you imagine how big it would get if there were only a 2nd instar??

      Keep visiting and keep questioning!! Your post made me smile.

      ~Ms. Lenahan

      Reply
  • September 11, 2009 at 7:02 pm
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    What a cool looking caterpillar!!! I am going to make sure that we plant the host plants for that guy and hopefully I will be able to have some pictures of them of my own next year.

    Reply

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