Kevin Firth got me started looking at the wavy-lined emerald moth with this note.
"The larvae are flower feeders that camouflage themselves with bits of whatever plant they are feeding on. We had a bunch of them about five years ago around the house. I found them on Prairie Blazing Star."
The wavy-lined emerald,
Synchlora aerata, is a fascinating critter.
Its caterpillar is commonly referred to as a camouflaged looper. Unlike the camo of natural coloration, this caterpillar will attach plant fragments, especially flower petals to its back as it feeds, nature's version of a
ghillie suit. It is the only wide spread species that applies this artistic camouflage.
The results can be quite striking and variable like those above, to the degree that you would never guess that these were the same species. Part of the reason for the colorful variation is that they feed on a wide variety of plants including many flower heads and petals as well as trees and shrubs. They seem to prefer composite flowers, especially (Asteraceae), including
Aster, Rudbeckia, Liatris, Solidago, and Artemisia. This gives them a wide variety of colors to chose from. Since the fragments are always fresh looking they are probably replaced daily.
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| Dressed up for dinner- Kevin Firth |
The adult moth is a pale green with faint wavy lines running along the wings and a dainty fringe on the hind edges. They are found widely over North America.
More caterpillars are seen on this Bugguide link.
Click on this video showing attached flower petals shaking.
