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Photo#277584
Large gray caterpillar with a bright purple underside found in Andover Ma - Catocala ilia

Large gray caterpillar with a bright purple underside found in Andover Ma - Catocala ilia
Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA
May 19, 2009
Size: roughly 0.5 dia x 2.5 in

Images of this individual: tag all
Large gray caterpillar with a bright purple underside found in Andover Ma - Catocala ilia Large gray caterpillar with a bright purple underside found in Andover Ma - Catocala ilia Large gray caterpillar with a bright purple underside found in Andover Ma - Catocala ilia

Moved
Moved from Underwings.

Gray Caterpillar purple/pink underside found in Brandon, VT
I found the same type of caterpillar here in Brandon, VT buried within a pile of cedar mulch. Very strange looking, haven't seen this type of caterpillar before and have lived in this state nearly 40 years. They must be very good at keeping themselves hidden. I am keeping this guy, to see what kind of moth he turns into.

If you look at the top of this page,
above the image, you will find a string of scientific text that ends with the name Catocala. That is the genus name of this creature. It is one of the Underwing Moths. The species has not been determined yet, though Catocala ilia looks very similar. They are big beautiful moths that rest on tree trunks during the day, blending right in with the bark, and have beautifully patterned and colored hindwings. They eat the leaves of trees, maybe oak(?), but likely whatever you have in your backyard near where you found it. Hannah has an article about raising caterpillars here that should help. You will need dirt and leaf litter in the bottom of your container, in case the caterpillar wants to bury itself to cocoon, as well as twigs for it to climb up on later, as well as leaves of local trees so it can select the ones it wants to eat. Enjoy, and please post a caterpillar and later an adult moth image.

i found the same catapillar in sherman,texas
my first question is what does it eat ? i have some pictures on facebook of it and going to site this page with your post so it can be seen so there is a match...i want to know what it eats so i can grow it into a butterfly and take a picture of it before released. and since you didnt have a name for it, and i cant find one through what i checked just wondering if its been labeled to you yet.. you can send a message at ember_dragon@live.com, just title it mystery bug and i will know or at facebook Starr Van Nortwick..let me know asap please and thanks.

Moved

What is that thing?
We have the same catepillar found last night in our yard flipping around like a shrimp. It's the color and kind of texture of bark same as the one pictured with a pretty purple underbelly. It seemed to want to nip or bite so we used a twig and put it in a jar. It's creepy and I really don't want it in the house. Should I be worried about this one and possible buddies biting the kids in the yard? Is it toxic to our small dog if he's bitten or bites it? We're very interested in finding out exactly what this is and what to do about it.

 
same species and did the exact same flipping move
i first saw this real late at night on my back porch.it was a grey green color on top and a fushcia colored/lilac purple underside with black dots as well..what does it eat so i can continue to feed it and grow so maybe when the time comes i can manage a picture of the phase and what it looked like after is cacoon stage. i also have another picture of a spiral sea shell type shape insect. we found it put it in a seperate jar and it attached itself to the top of the lid..meaning butterfly or moth usually...hoping its two of the same one hatched and the other before transformation...let me know please what the catapillar eats and its habits please.

 
I love this site. Thanks for update!
We have been wondering what this is for 2 years now. I am so glad to find out a name to search by. We have two very old large oaks on our property and this could explain why we found that odd looking caterpillar here. We've had no more sitings since 2009, but will be on the hunt in a few weeks since we have documented time and food source(possible) to look for them. I will gladly post updates and submit pictures if we run into any more. BTW, we are in Minnesota

 
We have one here in Conover N
We have one here in Conover NC. Found on a wooden window seal! What type of moth or butterfly is it?

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