I saw something moving in the grass in my back yard and got a closer look. This is what I saw. A gray blob.
Then two legs appeared.
As I looked sideways, I saw a big eye.
And now it has wings too.
This very large insect is the American Dagger Moth. This moth can be seen flying from April to September in eastern North America.
And you know how happy I am to get my subject's face even if it is upside down.
And here is its caterpillar that I found on the side of my house. The American Dagger Moth Caterpillar.
This caterpillar is large too; approximately 2" long. They feed on the leaves of many different trees and they especially like maple and willow tree leaves. There are two very large maple trees on the side of my house which explains why it was crawling here. You can see these caterpillars from July through October.
Yay! I got a photo of its face.
Do not touch these caterpillars. Those black spikes sting if you touch them and break off which can get stuck in your skin, and can cause a rash. This American Dagger Moth Caterpillar is proof that not all caterpillars turn into butterflies.
Thanks for looking!
Information Source: insectidentification.org, reference.com
Image Source: 100% my own.
Nice shots. you have a lot of patients.
Thanks so much. Sorry for the late reply. : (
https://steemit.com/dlive/@freewritehouse/ad3e0fb3-b901-11e8-8f16-0242ac110003
And another SBI for you :)
Good observation! It's great to see the insect and caterpillar closely. I like the ways you tried to take photos of their faces..... Really cute faces! ;)
I am happy that you liked the photos. I always try to capture my subject's faces and it isn't easy, so when I do get their face, it makes me very happy. : )
And you got great captures of them.... ;)