False Head Caterpillar

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:07 pm

I havent uploaded a photograph on this forum in awhile, though i have allways been around viewing all of your great photographs.

thought id do so today and share a photograph as i have found an interesting caterpillar.

Unknown Caterpillar - has what looks like a false head, which actually looks slightly damaged just alittle bit, on the edge - must be functioning as intended.

augusthouse · Post by **augusthouse** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:15 pm

Adrian,
That's intriguing. Can you provide an indication of the location where you found it and were you able to identify the foodplant it's been munching on?

Craig

Danny · Post by **Danny** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:41 am

Well I wish this was mine, thats for sure. Gorgeous soft background and what a subject. Thats gorgeous !!!. Sharp and showing excellent details. The colours are to die for.

Love it.

All the best and brilliant shot Adrian.

Danny.

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:02 am

That is an awesome caterpillar

It would be interesting to know what kind it is and what it turns in to. I would speculate a moth of some sort, judging from the appearance of some of the cats I have seen that result in moths. Really a beautiful specimen.

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:25 am

augusthouse wrote:Adrian,
That's intriguing. Can you provide an indication of the location where you found it and were you able to identify the foodplant it's been munching on?

i found it in - tall eucalypt forest area's - browns waterhole, close to terrys creek.

http://wildcolour2.wildcolour.com/bushw ... track.html

i visit this area on a regular basis as its close to where i am staying at the moment.

im not sure what it was feeding on but its a fairly common plant in the area.

Thank you all kindly for your comments.

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:11 am

An excellent find Adrian and I agree on the details and color. Very beautiful & unusual.

augusthouse · Post by **augusthouse** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 1:15 am

Adrian,
Just out of interest, I am trying to have this critter identified. I'll have to wait to hear back from some ento friends; but your photograph absolutely blew-them-away.

Craig

augusthouse · Post by **augusthouse** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 1:38 am

This could be it... Need to verify the ID.

Wattle Moth

"Neola semiaurata, subfamily NOTODONTINAE, caterpillar body length 40mm
We found this caterpillar feeding on wattle leaf in Karawatha Forest during late summer. The caterpillar is pinkish-brown in colour, covered with sparse short hairs."

http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane ... /wpe12.jpg

http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane ... NTIDAE.htm

Craig

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 3:10 am

Thank you Bettleman

Craig, I am very glad to hear that your ento friends like my photograph, i would be interested in learning more about the activities of ento's.

That Caterpillar looks very much like the one i photographed.

I got a photograph of the plant it was feeding on today.

Thank You.

Erland R.N. · Post by **Erland R.N.** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:00 am

Excellent larva you found, nice colours.
What really got me into this picture, is that I've seen a similar caterpillar in Sweden, very differently coloured, but with very similar shape.

Erland

Bruce Williams · Post by **Bruce Williams** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:21 pm

This pic has just about everything Adrian!

Firstly you've done a great job with focus and exposure - and the composition is excellent too. Secondly you couldn't wish for a better subject - exotic shape, interesting markings and gorgeous colours.

On the subject of the markings....are those dinghy shaped markings in the centre of each segment just markings or are they functional - like the spiracles on a centipede for example?

Great shot.

Bruce

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:19 pm

Erland - Thank you.

Bruce - about the markings, im not sure but to me they apear to to be just markings, though even markings must have a function, otherwise they would cease to exist - they may be more than just markings however.

The four white dots around the larger dot each have smaller hairs coming out of them, very much like the other leaf shaped black hairs on the rest of the caterpillar.

the little black band around the centre's white dot is rather interesting, they all apear very simular in appearance, and have a rather wet look to them.

thought you might like a closer look.

eye on the false head.

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:47 pm

The larger, oval-shaped dots are spiracles, openings into the breathing tubes. There's one on the prothorax that makes the "eye on the false head", and one each abdominal segment. They're paired, of course -- each segment has one on the left side (front in this view) and a matching one on the right that we can't see.

The four little dots surrounding each spiracle appear to be just ornamented bases of bristles.

This really is a very pretty caterpillar, and well photographed!

--Rik

Edit: sorry, I didn't look & read carefully enough. What Adrian's calling the "false head" is actually the last abdominal segment, to the left of the image. The prothorax is at the other end -- the enlarged segment just behind the real head. I'm used to thinking of enlarged prothorax as being a false head, as in the snake-mimics. Goodness what this thing's predators actually think about it!

augusthouse · Post by **augusthouse** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:02 pm

There is a bit more info on one of those links that would be a shame to overlook.

"As other caterpillars in this family, when disturbed, the caterpillar raised its head. Near its end, there are a pair of eye spots which can open and close."

Craig

augusthouse · Post by **augusthouse** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:06 pm

ID confirmed.

http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/science/ho ... semiaurata

Craig