What is it Wednesday: September 2, 2020

 

Can you identify what's in this photo?

 

 

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

 

 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

 

 

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

September 2, 2020. 

 

 

 

And the answer is....

 

 

This creature is not a monkey or a slug, but a strange-looking caterpillar known as a monkey slug. It will become an adult hag moth.

The monkey slug is related to the saddleback caterpillar (the most fiercely-stinging caterpillar of our area) and other “slug moth” caterpillars. Their legs are tiny, and their pro-legs merely suction cups. Instead of walking, the slug moth caterpillars glide, using a kind of liquefied silk as a lubricant.

The monkey slug caterpillar, with its hairy “arms” (which are simply protrusions and can fall off without harming the caterpillar), closely resembles the cast-off skins of tarantulas. The adult female hag moths look a lot like bees; and the adult males mimic wasps. This creature is a master of mimicry at all stages!

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!