Reason #4: Unexpected Cool Things

Last weekend, my brother and his girlfriend Ariel were over. Ariel and I were chopping veggies in the kitchen and my dad and brother were out in the garden, gathering said veggies and moving tarps and such. All of a sudden, my dad comes in carrying a big stick with something green at the end. Ariel freaked out a bit when she saw him. Here he is!

Talk about a very hungry caterpillar! Look at the size! He was at least as long as my thumb, and much fatter!

Of course, I moved him around a bit to "pose" him for pictures. I was testing out my macro setting on my camera.

I did a little research, and he's a luna moth caterpillar! If you've ever seen a luna moth, you'll understand why this fat boy becomes one of those. Know what a luna moth's sole purpose in life is? To mate! Imagine that! They don't eat, because they don't have mouths. When this guy pupates and then emerges from his coccoon, he won't even be able to fly (not yet). He'll climb a tree and hang upside down so his wings will fill with blood, making them strong enough to bear his weight.

Does the caterpillar eat? Yes it does. It must fill up enough so that when it's a moth it's not so hungry.

I love discovering new tidbits such as this. Another great reason to live in the Pacific Northwest!

If you're interested, I found my information here.