Hickory Horned Devil
Check out this amazing creature – it looks like something you’d find in the jungle, but apparently it’s a harmless giant caterpillar, known as a hickory horned devil, that is looking for a place to burrow so that it can re-emerge as a royal moth. Be sure to click on the photo to see the full-size image.
Incredibly, it only took me about 10 minutes to find out what it was called on the internet, using such search terms as light green, spikes, and giant insect. How did people ever find out stuff like this before? I guess I would have had to go to the library and look through reference books – it would have taken days!
9 comments
Permalink1
Thank you, Laura, for sharing
wth us your Hickory Horned Devil. I bet this may be the only blog on the Web where you can go
from learning how to read a French menu to a Hickory Horned Devil (assuming it’s not
part
of the menu) in 24 hours!
Don
Permalink2
We just saw one of these giant caterpillars today at the park. Darnedest looking
thing we have ever seen! It looked more like something out of a Sci Fi show than real life.
Thanks for doing the legwork and finding out its name for us.
Permalink3
We live in Florida. My dad was
outside mowing the lawn today when he came in and said you’ve got to see this! We went outside
and looked and the exact same thing. I was totally creeped out but my mom called all kinds of
people like the “Whashington Experts” and they had nooo clue what we were talking about. I
serched for Giant Caterpillar and found you. So thank you sooo much for finding out about these
creepy, alien, Hickory Horned Devils!
Permalink4
My family found one in the
Kokosing River in Howard, Ohio. I was quite shocked to read that one was found in Florida
also… Would love to learn more about the horny devils… ha ha
Permalink5
I appreciated finding your great photo of the caterpiller! I found the moth it
turns into (had a bit of a hard time I.D.-ing the moth though) and was curious to see
it!
Nice blog, by the way!
Permalink6
Hi Sue -
I’d love to see the moth – do you have a picture?
LKL
Permalink7
My
Hickory Horned Devil is bigger than yours! Thanks for making this information available as I
might otherwise have had to kill it with our young son running around.
-gjb
Permalink8
Hey guys. Just found one of
these amazing creatures today in Kentucky.
Permalink9
Found once in HIckory, NC ironically