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 15, 2021.
And
the answer is....
saddleback caterpillars have the strongest sting of any caterpillars in Pennsylvania!
The spiky spines you see around its sides and on the fleshy “horns” on its front and back are filled with venom that causes a sting about as painful as a bee sting. These are called urticating hairs or spines, and the more time the spines are in the skin, the more venom is transmitted. This, or individual sensitivities, can sometimes cause a stronger reaction including nausea and migraines. The bright coloration of the caterpillar is a warning to stay away – this type of warning coloration is called aposematism. As you can see, it also has spots that look like large eyes, which are actually located on the back of its body. Eyespot colorations like this have the effect of startling predators into staying away. The saddleback caterpillar has a full complement of defensive tricks!
The saddleback caterpillar is the larva of a fuzzy dark brown and black moth. It is not common to see saddleback caterpillars at Lutherlyn, but when we do it is late summer/early fall, as that is when they have fully developed. Saddleback caterpillars are also a type of slug caterpillar, which use a layer of liquefied silk to glide instead of walking. (Previous What is it Wednesday feature the monkey slug caterpillar is also a slug caterpillar.)
It may be hard to tell in the pictures, but this particular saddleback caterpillar was also sitting on a poison ivy leaf – something you don’t want to touch on top of something else you don’t want to touch!
All this may sound intimidating, but saddle back caterpillars are not abundant in our area, and keeping an eye out for their warning colors can help avoid unwanted contact. If you do end up touching one, it will probably be a little painful but will most likely be fairly minor and brief. For more about the ways LEEP can help you learn how to be safe in nature while enjoying nature’s wonders, with school field trips, Saturday Safaris, retreats and more, check out www.Lutherlyn.com/EE.
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!
