Wicked cool caterpillar!

owlice · Post by **owlice** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:04 am

: Click to view full size image

This is (probably) a Hooded Owlet Moth Caterpillar. SO cool!

That from What's That Bug (which I'm looking through because of the very large black beetle I saw this evening; I can't recall what it is, darn it!).

Beyond · Post by **Beyond** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:58 am

Egads, C-s Rapter, that caterpillar is more like scary-wicked-cool

Looks like it would fit right in with Halloween.

geckzilla · Post by **geckzilla** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 4:58 am

This is a strange coincidence for me but just yesterday I saw a black soldier fly above the radiator and was wondering what kind of insect it was... it is a pretty good wasp mimic! But the head is just too fly-like, as usual.

Beyond · Post by **Beyond** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 5:06 am

Gee, geckzilla, you see good - like an Ocular Digitator should. Once you catch on the 'fly' shenanagins, it's easier to tell them apart. Now i know i have less bees around here then i used to think there was.

Ann · Post by **Ann** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 5:12 am

That's some caterpillar!

Ann

The Alien · Post by **The Alien** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 8:03 am

Caterpillars are the cutest <3

orin stepanek · Post by **orin stepanek** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:31 pm

I'd like to see the adult! I bet it would have pretty colorful wings.
Wiki shows an owl butterfly!

: Click to view full size image

owlice · Post by **owlice** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:49 pm

The Owl Butterflies are very pretty!

Hooded Owlet Moths, on the other hand, are (surprisingly) not colorful at all. The caterpillars use up all the colors; there aren't any left over for the adults! (Kind of like kids and money...!)

starstruck · Post by **starstruck** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 1:14 pm

I found this rare picture of the adult owlice moth . .

Amazing how these things can closely mimic the appearance of other creatures!

Beats me how they know how to do that!

owlice · Post by **owlice** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 1:40 pm

: falls over laughing! :

neufer · Post by **neufer** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 3:45 pm

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Arthropods/Usa/Caterpillars/NorthernIllinois/index.html wrote:
Caterpillars of Northern Illinois

<<A close relative of the brown hooded owlet moth, but with a very different color scheme. This is one of the few caterpillars which isn't just named after the moth or butterfly it turns into, but has its own common name, The Asteroid. This name comes from its Latin or scientific name, Cucullia asteroides, which might have been given to it because of the long, fiery streaks along its body. The white ovals on its body are the spiracles it uses to breath; insects don't have lungs, instead they draw air in through holes which lead into finer and finer tubes within the body, distributing oxygen in that way. This isn't as efficient as lungs, which is one thing limiting the maximum size of insects.>>

Beyond · Post by **Beyond** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 4:48 pm

Oooh - Raceing stripes! Reminds me of the stripes going down the back of a chipmunk. Why? I dunno, just does.

neufer · Post by **neufer** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 8:04 pm

Beyond wrote:
Oooh - Raceing stripes! Reminds me of the stripes going down the back of a chipmunk.

http://www.ic.arizona.edu/ic/kmartin/School/iroquois.htm wrote:
HOW CHIPMUNK GOT STRIPES

Long ago when animals could talk, a bear was walking along. Now it has always been said that bears think very highly of themselves. Since they are big and strong, they are certain that they are the most important of the animals.

As this bear went along turning over big logs with his paws to look for food to eat, he felt very sure of himself. "There is nothing I cannot do," said this bear.

"Is that so?" said a small voice. Bear looked down. There was a little chipmunk looking up at Bear from its hole in the ground.

"Yes," Bear said, "that is true indeed." He reached out one huge paw and rolled over a big log. "Look at how easily I can do this. I am the strongest of all the animals. I can do anything. All the other animals fear me."

"Can you stop the sun from rising in the morning?" said the Chipmunk.

Bear thought for a moment. "I have never tried that," he said. "Yes, I am sure I could stop the sun from rising."

"You are sure?" said Chipmunk.

"I am sure," said Bear. "Tomorrow morning the sun will not rise. I, Bear, have said so." Bear sat down facing the east to wait.

Behind him the sun set for the night and still he sat there. The chipmunk went into its hole and curled up in its snug little nest, chuckling about how foolish Bear was. All through the night Bear sat. Finally the first birds started their songs and the East glowed with the light that comes before the sun.

"The sun will not rise today," said Bear. He stared hard at the glowing light. "The sun will not rise today."

However, the sun rose, just as it always had. Bear was very upset, but Chipmunk was delighted. He laughed and laughed. "Sun is stronger than Bear," said the chipmunk, twittering with laughter. Chipmunk was so amused that he came out of his hole and began running around in circles, singing this song:

"The sun came up,
The sun came up.
Bear is angry,
But the sun came up."
While Bear sat there looking very unhappy, Chipmunk ran around and around, singing and laughing until he was so weak that he rolled over on his back. Then, quicker than the leap of a fish from a stream, Bear shot out one big paw and pinned him to the ground.

"Perhaps I cannot stop the sun from rising," said Bear, "but you will never see another sunrise."

"Oh, Bear," said the chipmunk. "Oh, oh, oh, you are the strongest, you are the quickest, you are the best of all of the animals. I was only joking." But Bear did not move his paw.

"Oh, Bear," Chipmunk said, "you are right to kill me, I deserve to die. Just please let me say one last prayer to Creator before you eat me."

"Say your prayer quickly," said Bear. "Your time to walk the Sky Road has come!"

"Oh, Bear," said Chipmunk, "I would like to die. But you are pressing down on me so hard I cannot breathe. I can hardly squeak. I do not have enough breath to say a prayer. If you would just lift your paw a little, just a little bit, then I could breathe. And I could say my last prayer to the Maker of all, to the one who made great, wise, powerful Bear and the foolish, weak, little Chipmunk."

Bear lifted up his paw. He lifted it just a little bit. That little bit, though, was enough. Chipmunk squirmed free and ran for his hole as quickly as the blinking of an eye. Bear swung his paw at the little chipmunk as it darted away. He was not quick enough to catch him, but the very tips of his long claws scraped along Chipmunk's back leaving three pale scars.

To this day, all chipmunks wear stipes.

Yogi

Beyond · Post by **Beyond** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 9:12 pm

Now That's a tale that's hard to bear. But it's also why Yogi goes after pic-a-nik baskets. They're a LOT slower

neufer · Post by **neufer** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 9:23 pm

Beyond wrote:
Now That's a tale that's hard to bear. But it's also why Yogi goes after pic-a-nik baskets. They're a LOT slower

The ones without racing stripes at least.

Yogi

orin stepanek · Post by **orin stepanek** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 9:45 pm

I know a couple of Chipmunks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWm0EYfK ... re=related

Beyond · Post by **Beyond** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:54 pm

Orin, they don't have as many Raceing stripes. But then they're into retirement age already, so the rest of the stripes probably fell off.

Ann · Post by **Ann** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 1:18 am

Thank you, Art, for the chipmunk picture, and thank you, Orin, for the Chip 'n Dale video. You can't imagine how much that Disney video reminds me of Christmas!

Back in the early sixties, Swedish television (which by then only had one channel) started showing a potpurri of Disney clips, each a few minutes long, between three and four o'clock on Chrismas Eve. This was the only time of the year that Swedish television showed animated cartoons. This one hour on Christmas Eve became a "must" for everyone in Sweden who owned a television. It became the clou of Christmas. Everyone watched, except a few religious people who insisted to om attending church at four o'clock for an afternoon Christmas service. My parents tried to make me and my brother attend, but we refused - if we did, we would miss half of "Kalle Anka" (Donald Duck). Our parents gave up after a few years and stayed home to watch the Disney clips with us, and a few years later the churches gave up and moved their Christmas afternoon service to 4.30 or 5.

There was a Chip 'n Dale clip among the Disney clips. My brother and I were fascinated. "What sort of animal are they?" we asked. "Eh... they are squirrels," our father replied. "But squirrels don't look like that!" we protested. "They are American squirrels," father explained.

So thank you for that cute picture of a real (rather than animated) squirrel, Art, and thank you for putting me in a Christmas mood, Orin!

Ann

Beyond · Post by **Beyond** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 1:39 am

Thanks Ann, i never realized that Chip&Dale had so much power as to actually make a church change it's service hours, or attract a whole country to a TV set for an hour, even if it was only once a year. Yea! Lets hear it for the power of a chipmunk, or two.

Just don't ever pick up a live one by the tail. The tail will come right off. My cousin and i discovered that a l-o-n-g time ago when picking up a freshly dead chipmunk and holding it by the tail. The weight of the chipmunk caused the tail bone to just slide right out of the tail. At the time, we thought they might be part lizard, the ones that shed their tails in an attempt to get away from something. Hey, we were just kids. What the heck did we know? But even now, i don't know why the tail comes off so easily. No other furry litter critter seems to do that. Maybe Art can find out and make a post about it? He seems to be very good at finding out about strange things.

The Alien · Post by **The Alien** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 1:42 am

neufer wrote:
http://www.richard-seaman.com/Arthropods/Usa/Caterpillars/NorthernIllinois/index.html wrote:
Caterpillars of Northern Illinois

<<A close relative of the brown hooded owlet moth, but with a very different color scheme. This is one of the few caterpillars which isn't just named after the moth or butterfly it turns into, but has its own common name, The Asteroid. This name comes from its Latin or scientific name, Cucullia asteroides, which might have been given to it because of the long, fiery streaks along its body. The white ovals on its body are the spiracles it uses to breath; insects don't have lungs, instead they draw air in through holes which lead into finer and finer tubes within the body, distributing oxygen in that way. This isn't as efficient as lungs, which is one thing limiting the maximum size of insects.>>

Eh, this one isn't so cute </3

orin stepanek · Post by **orin stepanek** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 1:43 am

Ann wrote:Thank you, Art, for the chipmunk picture, and thank you, Orin, for the Chip 'n Dale video. You can't imagine how much that Disney video reminds me of Christmas!

Back in the early sixties, Swedish television (which by then only had one channel) started showing a potpurri of Disney clips, each a few minutes long, between three and four o'clock on Chrismas Eve. This was the only time of the year that Swedish television showed animated cartoons. This one hour on Christmas Eve became a "must" for everyone in Sweden who owned a television. It became the clou of Christmas. Everyone watched, except a few religious people who insisted to om attending church at four o'clock for an afternoon Christmas service. My parents tried to make me and my brother attend, but we refused - if we did, we would miss half of "Kalle Anka" (Donald Duck). Our parents gave up after a few years and stayed home to watch the Disney clips with us, and a few years later the churches gave up and moved their Christmas afternoon service to 4.30 or 5.

There was a Chip 'n Dale clip among the Disney clips. My brother and I were fascinated. "What sort of animal are they?" we asked. "Eh... they are squirrels," our father replied. "But squirrels don't look like that!" we protested. "They are American squirrels," father explained.

So thank you for that cute picture of a real (rather than animated) squirrel, Art, and thank you for putting me in a Christmas mood, Orin!

Ann

Well then Ann; This will bring you into more of Christmas spirit!

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

Ann · Post by **Ann** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 2:15 am

Thanks, Orin! Alvin and the Chipmunks were slightly Christmas-y, but when I looked inside myself to find my kiddie self watching Alvin and the Chipmunks, I couldn't find my kiddie self doing that!

Ann

owlice · Post by **owlice** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 2:57 am

One Christmas when my tall child was small, he got the Chipmunks' Christmas CD. All activity stopped; we HAD to listen to that CD right.that.minute (according to the CD's recipient). So we did -- the CD went into the stereo, and the child, his dad, and I danced through every cut on it before continuing with unwrapping gifts.

Ann · Post by **Ann** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 4:19 am

When I started out as a teacher in the 1980s, I once taught a class of kids who were not academically motivated. When they wrote their compulsory "national test" in essay writing, they got the chance to write this stupidly simple topic, "My favorite holiday". Everybody chose the same holiday, "My Christmas". But not only did they chose the same holiday, they wrote the same essay! Seriously! It went like this:

On Christmas Eve I wake up at nine. My first Christmas present is waiting for me. I open the package and look at the present. Then I go downstairs to eat breakfast. I eat Christmas ham, meatballs and "prinskorv".

Prinskorv.

After breakfast I don't do anything special. Then my (grandmother, aunt, half sister, second cousin, other family members) arrive. We sit down to eat lunch together. We eat Christmas ham, meatballs and prinskorv.

Then I don't do anything special. Then at three o'clock we all watch "Kalle Anka".

"Kalle Anka" on Christmas Eve.

After we have watched Kalle Anka, we don't do anything special. Then Santa Claus arrives. He comes inside and gives us all our Christmas presents. We open our presents and look at them. Then we eat "Jansson" and "risgrynsgröt" and drink "glögg".

The end!!!

Santa Claus (jultomten) makes a home delivery.

Janssons frestelse: Potatoes, onions, anchovies and cream.

Risgrynsgröt, rice cooked with milk, served with sugar and cinnamon.

Glögg, hot spicy wine served with raisins and almonds.

Well, after you have read thirty of those essays, you are pretty bored, let me tell you! One of owlice's caterpillars would have livened things up!

Ann

neufer · Post by **neufer** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 12:03 pm

Mickey & Donald long fell out of fashion in the U.S. for faster paced, more violent and edgier cartoons like Bugs & Daffy and Tom & Jerry and later The Simpsons (and their own fast paced & violent cartoon satire: Itchy & Scratchy). It is interesting that Donald is still going strong overseas where life seems to be more laid back. (P.S., I can still do a half decent Donald Duck voice that I learned to do in the '50's for the amusement of my grandchildren.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Duck wrote:
Click to play embedded YouTube video.
<<Donald Duck (Kalle Anka in Sweden, Anders And in Denmark, Andrés Önd in Iceland, Donald Duck in Norway and Aku Ankka in Finland) is a very popular character in Nordic countries. In the mid-1930s, Robert S. Hartman, a German who served as a representative of Walt Disney, visited Sweden to supervise the merchandise distribution of Sagokonst (The Art of Fables). Donald became the most popular of the Disney characters in Scandinavia, and Scandinavians recognise him better than Mickey Mouse. Kalle Anka & Co, Donald's first dedicated Swedish anthology, started in September 1948. In 2001 the Finnish Post Office issued a stamp set to commemorate the 50th year anniversary of Donald's presence in Finland. By 2005 around one out of every four Norwegians read the Norwegian edition Donald Duck & Co. per week, translating to around 1.3 million regular readers. During the same year, every week 434,000 Swedes read Kalle Anka & Co. By 2005 in Finland the Donald Duck anthology Aku Ankka sold 270,000 copies per issue. Tim Pilcher and Brad Books, authors of The Essential Guide to World Comics, described the Donald anthologies as "the Scandinavian equivalent of the UK's Beano or Dandy, a comic that generations have grown up with, from grandparents to grandchildren."

Hannu Raittila, an author, says that Finnish people recognize an aspect of themselves in Donald; Raittila cites that Donald attempts to retrieve himself from "all manner of unexpected and unreasonable scrapes using only his wits and the slim resources he can put his hands on, all of which meshes nicely with the popular image of Finland as driftwood in the crosscurrents of world politics." Finnish voters placing "protest votes" typically write "Donald Duck" as the candidate.

By 1978, within Finland there was extensive debate over the morality of Donald Duck. Some observers criticized Donald for living with Daisy while not being married to her, for not wearing trousers, and for, in the words of the Library Journal, being "too bourgeois". Some observers from Finland from the same time period supported Donald, referring to him as a "genuine proletarian...forced to sell his labor at slave rates to make a living". The Library Journal stated that it had been revealed that, since 1950, Donald had secretly been married to Daisy.

An annual Christmas special in Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden is From All of Us to All of You, in Norway and Sweden with a title of Donald Duck and His Friends Celebrate Christmas. Segments include Ferdinand the Bull, a short with Chip 'n' Dale, a segment from Lady and the Tramp, a sneak preview of a coming Disney movie and concludes with Jiminy Cricket performing "When You Wish Upon a Star". To many people watching this special is a tradition as important as having a Christmas tree.>>

Starship Asterisk*

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