Camouflaged Looper
The Camouflaged Looper caterpillar (Synchlora sp.) is a master of disguise. Its most identifiable characteristic is its habit of attaching severed flower bits onto its body. Like a combat soldier who affixes leaves and branches to his uniform, this tiny looper has mastered the art of disappearing into its surroundings. While adorned in its flowered regalia, the caterpillar will sway back and forth, as if to simulate part of the flower fluttering in the breeze.
After each molt, the cloak is shed and replenished with a new array of plant material.
Wavy-Lined Emerald is denoted as the common name in reference to the appearance of the adult moth. Several Synchlora subspecies occur south of the Mason-Dixon line, so accurate identification is limited to raised adults.
Howard County, Maryland
August 5, 2022
1028
Camouflaged Looper
The Camouflaged Looper caterpillar (Synchlora sp.) is a master of disguise. Its most identifiable characteristic is its habit of attaching severed flower bits onto its body. Like a combat soldier who affixes leaves and branches to his uniform, this tiny looper has mastered the art of disappearing into its surroundings. While adorned in its flowered regalia, the caterpillar will sway back and forth, as if to simulate part of the flower fluttering in the breeze.
After each molt, the cloak is shed and replenished with a new array of plant material.
Wavy-Lined Emerald is denoted as the common name in reference to the appearance of the adult moth. Several Synchlora subspecies occur south of the Mason-Dixon line, so accurate identification is limited to raised adults.
Howard County, Maryland
August 5, 2022
1028