Red Caterpillar

This red caterpillar led me on a long chase for an ID.  My friend Ben suggested it was a soft fishing lure from Bass Pro but he hadn't seen it move.  INaturalist called it a drab prominent moth larva (Misogada unicolor) but all the initial photographs of caterpillars I found were light green with tan or white racing stripes.  They did at least have the same dual exhausts!

Diving further into photographs in Bugguide I finally found some red lookalikes.  Apparently the caterpillars turn color when they are ready to pupate.  Looking closely at my photograph you can make out the pale racing stripe remnant down the back.  Measuring close to 2", it was a dramatic find.

Porch light moth- 2018

The name "drab prominent" describes the moth perfectly, so unremarkable that I forgot I had photographed it at the porch light at Bull Mills in 2018.  According to Bugguide, bronze scales on the tuft of the head are diagnostic in distinguishing the adult of this species as seen in the example to the right.  Their host plants are cottonwood and sycamore which is what we found this one on.

Finally, Misogada is a monotypic genus, meaning it has only one species.  That is my new word of the day.