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Photo#418300
Caterpillar on witch hazel - Pandemis limitata

Caterpillar on witch hazel - Pandemis limitata
Pennypack Restoration Trust, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA
June 7, 2010
Size: 7-9 mm
This caterpillar was inside a rolled leaf of witch hazel, just like

It is interesting that the roll is a lot bigger than the caterpillar. I still have the caterpillar (6/28/2010); I supplied other leaves and it seems to be eating them and staying inside the old dried up roll.
Update 7/13/2010. Projectile frassing: The leaves keep getting drier but the caterpillar is still alive; it keeps producing frass. The interesting thing is that everyday I find frass scattered, not right under the caterpillar but at a distance of 8 to 12 inches. It would make sense to throw the frass at a distance so birds can't spot it easily by just searching for a pile of frass and then looking at the leaves immediately above it.
Update 9/9/2010: I found some information on this behavior. It turns out that some people have studied it in detail and that there are a number of species that practice it, basically for protection from detection by predators. (Super Pooper. New Scientist. Here is a view of the leaves and the pellets thrown at a distance from the caterpillar.
Projectile frass.7.11.10fw

Update: there is a nice article on Projectile frass as avoidance of detection behavior

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Images of this individual: tag all
Caterpillar on witch hazel - Pandemis limitata Caterpillar on witch hazel - Pandemis limitata Pupa on witch hazel - Pandemis limitata Pupa on witch hazel - Pandemis limitata Pupa on witch hazel - Pandemis limitata It eclosed 7/25/2010 - Pandemis limitata It eclosed 7/25/2010 - Pandemis limitata

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