Our backyard monster

[Gob]

I’ve seen some weird and wonderful creatures since I’ve been living here in Aus, (human and animal). But in the garden today I came across this monster, which really takes the cake, biscuit the whole sweet trolley in fact! It’s some sort of caterpillar on steroids and acid.

It was about 5 inches long and thicker than my thumb.

Knowing the way of Australian creatures I thought it may be poisonous. I did try to get Hen to touch it to find out, but she declined. Truth be told, it was truly beautiful, and had me gamboling around the garden like an excited child.

It's one of these

Better images, click the magnifying glass to view;

[Sue U]

More important medically, the bristles of caterpillars and those of the cocoon break off when touched. The bristles easily penetrate skin, causing irritation and occasionally an allergic reaction.

Hands off then!

[The Hen]

My thought exactly. even if the little bugger wasn't liable to cause an irritation I can't imagine why I would want to terrify it so.

[kristina]

Wow!

[rubato]

Cute caterpiggle! Have you had any luck identifying it?

What does it turn into? Something beetl-y? Or sting-y?

yrs,
rubato

[Crackpot]

Gob I was sure that this was going to be one of your incessant anal sex threads.

[The Hen]

Cute caterpiggle! Have you had any luck identifying it?

What does it turn into? Something beetl-y? Or sting-y?

yrs,
rubato

It turns into something mothy.

It was a White Stemmed Gum Moth.

[Sue U]

Given the size, I'd expect Mothra.

[loCAtek]

Way cool, I think tomato worms get that big.

[Daisy]

I don't want one of those fuckers flapping round my bedside lamp!!

[@meric@nwom@n]

Gob I was sure that this was going to be one of your incessant anal sex threads.

[Aard Vark]

If they do get in they sound like a chinook in the bedroom.

On the up side I am told they are very tasty when cooked over a camp fire. The catapillers have an eggy tast the moth on the other hand. On a stick and burn off the wings and fine hairs before eating. I have not tired them so if you can try it and let us know what it is like.

Bush tucker a real delacassy (spell check someone?)

[rubato]

Cute caterpiggle! Have you had any luck identifying it?

What does it turn into? Something beetl-y? Or sting-y?

yrs,
rubato

It turns into something mothy.

It was a White Stemmed Gum Moth.

Oh, too bad. I was rooting for beetle-y; a nice big crunchy one.

We have a very similar sphynx moth here in S. Calif where my parents live:



The cats used to go nuts trying to grab them out of the air around the backdoor light.

yrs,
rubato