Black-waved Flannel Sheds its Skin and Fluffs Hair at The Caterpillar Lab скачать в хорошем качестве

Black-waved Flannel Sheds its Skin and Fluffs Hair at The Caterpillar Lab

Black-waved Flannel Sheds its Skin and Fluffs Hair THIS IS A STRANGE ONE! A flannel moth caterpillar sheds its skin and dances to fluff up its protective mop of hair. Ask questions, share, or just gawk. The transformations that caterpillars go through are sudden and bizarre and this creature's shed stands out as one of the most visually curious of all. We got it! It took a few late nights and many false starts, but I was finally able to capture one of our Black-waved Flannel caterpillars shedding its skin into its final instar, or growth stage. I was not disappointed. The flannel is transforming from a small, white haired, Einstein lookalike, into a burned orange mouse of a caterpillar. You can also clearly see the old linings of the caterpillar's tracheae, or breathing tubes, being shed out from inside the body as they are replaced by a new, more extensive set. In the second half of the film the flannel begins to twist and "dance" in order to fluff up its new head of hair. This same dance is performed by many unrelated hairy caterpillars after shedding. *** Here is some more information on this remarkable species from an earlier video post: An ambitious dust bunny? A sentient toupee? A mouse on a bad hair day? Nope, just another oddball caterpillar. The Black-waved Flannel (Lagoa crispata) of Eastern North America is yet another wholly uncaterpillar-like caterpillar. Have you been noticing this trend lately in our videos and photographs? Caterpillars are more varied and strange than many of us could have imagined. Year after year, I am confident that there will always be another totally crazy, bizarre, and outside-the-box caterpillar to share with you all. Flannels belong to the moth family Megalopygidae. The Megalopygids are close allies to the Limacodidae slug caterpillars that we have been sharing this month and they share many features in common. For instance, members of both families may have stinging spines and irritating hair. The Black-waved looks cute and cuddly (to me anyways!) but hidden beneath its plush exterior is an armament of sharp stinging spines that are considered to give one of the most intense stings of any North American caterpillar! This is one species that we definitely do not recommend being too careless around. Their sting hurts and can be medically significant. Still, nothing to fear if we are careful and aware of our environment. I find it quite impressive that such a little creature packs such a big punch - worthy of respect and admiration. In New England I find Black-waved Flannel caterpillars in coastal and scrubland habitats from Maine south. Cape Cod in particular seems to host a thriving population. In other parts of the country the caterpillars are not as restricted to one type of habitat and may more often be found in backyard situations. They eat a wide variety of plants and I have found them on cherry, red bud, oak, hickory, amelanchier, and others. They start out pure white and ridiculously fluffy, a good likeness to Einstein's hair. When they shed into their final instar, or growth stage, they completely transform, becoming brown-gray and rather mouse-like. The Caterpillar Lab www.thecaterpillarlab.org www.facebook.com/thecaterpillarlab (c) Sam Jaffe