: "silly fat striped hotdog (polydamas caterpillar) can eat the invasive pipevine seen here, but his cousin the vantablack hotdog (pipevine caterpillar) can only eat the native pipevine and will die if it tries to eat the invasive one. I gently pet this wormy and left him to his important work"

@mossworm.bsky.social

silly fat striped hotdog (polydamas caterpillar) can eat the invasive pipevine seen here, but his cousin the vantablack hotdog (pipevine caterpillar) can only eat the native pipevine and will die if it tries to eat the invasive one. I gently pet this wormy and left him to his important work

Jul 03, 2024 at 17:08 UTC

2 replies 5 reposts 51 likes

Ashli @artconvos.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 04, 2024 at 02:21 UTC

Do you look up each new caterpillar or do you just have this knowledge floating around in your head?

1 replies 0 reposts 1 likes

Plognark @plognark.bsky.social
[ View ] Jul 03, 2024 at 17:13 UTC

Reminds me that I’ve discovered Mourning Cloak butterfly caterpillars have happily been stripping leaves off of a non-native ornamental willow tree in my yard. I had planned to pull it out, but I’ve moved it way down on my invasive/non-native plant-removal priority list because of this discovery.

0 replies 0 reposts 1 likes