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Imperial Moth caterpillar at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
Imperial Moth caterpillar at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
Normally, seeing a caterpillar doesn’t make you gasp, but this one was huge! These caterpillars can reach 4 inches in length, and are as thick as your thumb! This larval stage of the imperial moth was seen feeding on the leaf of a sweet gum tree on Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. It will overwinter in an underground burrow as a pupa and the adult will not emerge until next summer.
Credit: Matt Whitbeck/USFWS. Original public domain image from Flickr
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