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!
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
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.
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!
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
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!
Hi Sue –
I’d love to see the moth – do you have a picture?
LKL
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
Hey guys. Just found one of these amazing creatures today in Kentucky.
Found once in HIckory, NC ironically
Found one in Bucks County, PA. round as a quarter and at lest 6 inches long ! Thanks for the blog.
Found one in Monkton, MD (28 August 2010). Taking a canoe trip down the Gunpowder Falls river and saw a Hickory Horned Devil (caterpillar) at the York Rd access point.
I was walking in the Stone Mountain park (GA) yesterday and saw 5 of these things. They were huge, and really hungry.
Hi we found one of these today…HUGH! about 5 in. in long.
Just found one this morning in Columbia. MD
I saw one of these a couple of months ago in silver spring, md. it was right in front of my house. me and my friends were a bit afraid so we left. i’ve never seen one ever since.
OMG! I just found one this morning on my sidewalk! It was as long as my hand — super cool.