Gallery: Macro & Close-upPosted November 18, 20161,287 views10 comments
Found this caterpillar feeding on a wild aster plant in Palmer Park in Colorado Springs. I've never seen it before and have no idea what it is. Anyone have an ID?
Comments
10 comments
Comment posted by Jim Zablotny on November 18, 2016 at 12:32 PM
Hi,
This is the larva of Cuculia dorsalis, which is a species of noctuid moth. Adult moths are nondescript so you definitely photographed the more photogenic life stage..........................Jim
Registered on January 17, 2004, 705 Posts, 3594 Comments
Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on November 18, 2016 at 1:03 PM
Nice catch! I can never get the darn things to hold still enough.
If you could please share your settings, it would help us all learn.
Great colours, interesting flower head, and clean BG.
Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments
Comment posted by Skip Layman on November 18, 2016 at 1:28 PM
Sorry, I usually do post settings, but I was so intent on getting an ID I missed this one.
D300, 105 Macro-Nikkor, ISO 400, f13 @ 1/400, Matrix metering.
Registered on November 1, 2003, 558 Posts, 1704 Comments
Comment posted by Dennis Plank on November 18, 2016 at 4:42 PM
Lovely composition, Skip, and nice detail in the caterpillar.
Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments
Comment posted by Mark Seaver on November 18, 2016 at 5:39 PM
An outstanding catch on this colored cat. Skip. The simple foliage and the cat's colors and shape are set wonderfully against the gently colored background. Was that a piece of matboard?
Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments
Comment posted by Skip Layman on November 18, 2016 at 6:07 PM
No cardboard. The background was just the brown dirt of the trail next to where the cat was feeding.
Registered on November 1, 2003, 558 Posts, 1704 Comments
Comment posted by scott lanz on November 18, 2016 at 9:56 PM
Fine capture of a most attractive CP, Skip. Personally, I've never seen one of these. Well photographed.
Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments
Comment posted by Yun Gao on November 20, 2016 at 11:46 PM
What a colorful caterpillar with amazing patterns! Nice and clean image.
Registered on September 11, 2012, 267 Posts, 1621 Comments
Comment posted by Kent Staubus on November 26, 2016 at 11:58 AM
I was unable to find what this was on the online caterpillar sites. I would email the entomology dept of University of Colorado. Someone there will certainly know what it is. When bugs are brightly colored like this it usually means they are either poisonous to eat or taste bad.
Kent in SD
Registered on November 11, 2003, 121 Posts, 2098 Comments
Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on December 1, 2016 at 6:05 AM
Congrats on a fine WP! Like this even more with my second and third viewing!
Sandy
Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments
Comments
10 commentsThis is the larva of Cuculia dorsalis, which is a species of noctuid moth. Adult moths are nondescript so you definitely photographed the more photogenic life stage..........................Jim
If you could please share your settings, it would help us all learn.
Great colours, interesting flower head, and clean BG.
D300, 105 Macro-Nikkor, ISO 400, f13 @ 1/400, Matrix metering.
What a colorful caterpillar with amazing patterns! Nice and clean image.
Kent in SD
Sandy