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Big fat green caterpillar with orange spots (Polyphemus Moth caterpillar)

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Polyphemus Moth caterpillar
by: Moni

Anonymous
So glad you were able to find the identification on your caterpillar...sometimes teachers need help with internet searches on the computer. Thanks for finding out what it was.
Have you looked up what the moth looks like?

The Caterpillar
by: Anonymous

I found the same caterpillar at recess at school and found it on this website and I am going to tell the teacher the name of the caterpillar.The teacher and was looking on the internet today and never found it and Idid

Polyphemus Moth caterpillar
by: Moni

Anonymous
This is a Polyphemus Moth caterpillar not a Luna caterpillar - based on the direction of the light colored stripes. If you look at images of both you will see that the Polyphemus has light colored stripes that go from the top to the bottom of the caterpillar .http://bugguide.net/node/view/427/bgimage

If you look at images of a luna moth caterpillar there is a single light colored stripe from head to tail. http://bugguide.net/node/view/562/bgimage?from=24

Perhaps you are rearing Polyphemus rather than Luna??

Luna
by: Anonymous

This is a luna moth caterpillar. I am raising some right now and this is just what they look like!

Polyphemus Moth caterpillar
by: Moni

Ak
Your photo looks like the caterpillar of the Polyphemus moth. This is one of the large silkworm moths.
At this time of year it is probably heading to pupate. The cocoons are either spun on the tree of the host plant or in leaf litter under the tree. You have two generations of this insect in the south, but it is time to overwinter as a cocoon. The larva feed on many deciduous trees and shrubs including oak, as well as birch, hickory, maple, willow, grape and roses.
Here are photos of adults, caterpillars and cocoons -
http://bugguide.net/node/view/427/bgimage

Hornworms usually have a tail that tell us they are in the Sphingid family of moths.

fat green caterpillar
by: artzdlfin

it looks like a horn worm. i usually find them on my tomato plants.

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