Second Nature

Unicorn, Caterpillar, Moth – Oh My!

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By Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center

n a recent Sunday afternoon as I was climbing an apple tree in my orchard, I encountered an unusual creature that I had never before seen. It had a mottled brown head and various shades of tan-brown along its entire body – except for a bright green band just below its head. And to make matters even more unusual, between its head and green collar it had a single horn, with a second horn near the tip of the tail. Have you ever seen such a thing? Oh, and did I mention it was about an inch long? Along with its diminutive size, the six true legs just below its head and 10 stumpy prolegs on its abdomen made its identification as a caterpillar quite simple. The challenge was to figure which of the hundreds of Vermont species of Lepidoptera (the order of insects that comprise moths and butterflies) to which this caterpillar belonged. Some of the key features that helped me identify the species of caterpillar were its main body colors and patterns, as well as its distinctive horns and seemingly hairless body. Generally speaking, if you remember to make note

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of an organisms size, shape, color and texture you will have a good chance of being able to remember and ID it. A few clicks on the Internet lead me to an easy ID: the Unicorn Caterpillar – soon to become the Unicorn Caterpillar Moth. Moths, like butterflies, beetles and flies, are a type of insect that goes through a complete metamorphosis. This means that they begin their lives as eggs, which hatch into a larva (caterpillar stage) before spinning a cocoon in which they pupate and finally emerge as an adult winged insect. Like all insects, moths and butterflies have large, compound eyes, made up of thousands of lenses – with each lens acting like a separate eye. They have six true legs, which they use not only for locomotion but for tasting as well, and two antennae. They generally have stout bodies and as an adult they have large wings. While they share many characteristics, there are a few differences between a moth and a butterfly. While they both have antennae that they use to feel and to smell, the antennae of moth are usually very feathery – unlike the long-

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shafted, club shaped antennae of butterflies. Moths are more likely to fly at night, while butterflies travel by day. Butterflies tend to rest Luna Moth with their wings placed vertically up over their backs, while moths rest with their wings spread downward. While butterflies tend to be more colorful, moths have interesting markings to assist them in camouflage. For example, they may have round markings known as eyespots that make them either look bigger or like another type of larger animal altogether. Their quiet colors allow them to rest unseen during the day. Another difference between moths and butterflies is in their relative

Cecropia Caterpillar

Caterpillar Resources:

Unicorn Caterpillar Moth

A great local resource for learning more about caterpillars is the Caterpillar Lab in the Colony Mill Marketplace in Keene. You can learn more by visiting thecaterpillarlab.org

Besides their phenomenal Most moth caterpillars eat leaves. They numbers, and their astounding each require specific types of vegetation. ability to imitate other animals, For example, the aforementioned unicorn moths are remarkable in other caterpillar lives on the leaves of alder, ways. They range in size from the apple, aspen birch, elm, hawthorn, hickory 1/8-inch midget moth to the and willow trees. The familiar woolly bear atlas math with a wingspan caterpillar prefers wild plants such as of nearly a foot. As adults, dandelions, nettles, burdock, violets, asters they all have hairy bodies and clovers. You also might find them that make them excellent on garden plants such as spinach and pollinators. They tend to cabbage. The caterpillar of the stunning pollinate fragrant white flowers because they are easy Luna moth is inclined toward red maples, black cherries, sumac and white oak – to to find at night. name a few. A male moth can smell a female from as many So, you can see that the vegetation of as seven miles away fields, forests, and yards offers ample by using its highly opportunities to discover some of the sensitive feathery multitude of caterpillars inhabiting our antenna. Despite the area. fact that they are such voracious eaters in their larval stage, Second Nature is contributed by the most adults don’t eat at all. Adult moths naturalists at Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center. For more information, visit can live as few as two days, or as long as www.beec.org or call 802-257-5785 two months. Their job as an adult is no longer about eating The and growing as it was when they THE TOADSTOOL BOOKSHOPS Enchanting of Wonderful Books were a caterpillar – “EnchantingSelections selections of wonderful books and music” instead it is to find 12 Depot Square Lorden Plaza a mate and to lay Peterborough Milford 924-3543 673-1734 eggs. Join the longest running Finding Colony Mill Marketplace, Keene, 352-8815 parent & child classes in the online at toadbooks.com moths, and moth 12And DEPOT SQUARE Monadnock region! where you can see what’s in stock at our stores, what’s available to order, and you canPeterborough, download e-books for manyNH types of e-readers caterpillars, is M-F 10-6; Sat 10-5; Sun 10-4 Parent Child Classes easy and fun. To 603-924-3543 TUESDAYS/WEDNESDAYS discover what 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. moths frequent your 12 EMERALD STREET Crawlers & Walkers Keene, NH yard simply leave TUESDAYS M-Sat 10-9; Sun 11-6 an outdoor light on 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. 603-352-8815 overnight, then look Infant Group to see who comes LORDEN PLAZA Milford, NH to visit – either M-W 9-7; Th-F 9-8; Sat 9-6; Sun 11-5 during the night 603-673-1734 or first thing in the morning. A light www.toadbooks.com that is mounted on the house will work • Mail & Internet Orders • Out-of-Print Search Service best, as the house www.sophiashearth.org • Used Book serves as a landing 700 Court Street, Keene, NH Departments pad for the insects.

July 23-31, 2016 marks the fifth annual National Moth Week – check out the website nationalmothweek.org to learn more about these amazing insects and how you can become part of global citizen science initiative. They even have a special kids page chock full of ideas for exploring the world of moths with children. Join us at BEEC July 29 for an evening program, “Moths: Modest and Magnificent.” Meet on the summit of BEEC’s Heifer Hill at 7:30 p.m. for a twilight stroll along the ridge to enjoy the sights and sounds of the height of summer. Guest naturalists will be JoAnne Russo and Laura Gaudette. At 8:30 p.m., Russo and Gaudette, fresh from a week of moth study at the Eagle Hill Institute in Maine, will provide an introduction to moth ecology and identification. We will then admire the moths that show up at the lighted side of BEEC’s barn.

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abundance – there are many, many more types of moths than there are of butterflies in the world. Scientists estimate that there are approximately 12,000 to 15,000 species of butterflies and 150,000 to 250,000 species of moths. In the United States and Canada, more than 750 species of butterflies and 11,000 species of moths have been recorded. Many species of moths and a few kinds of butterflies are still being discovered. Maybe one of you will discover a new moth some day!

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