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Coffee House => Coffee House Boards => CH / Science and Technology => Topic started by: motorollin on May 19, 2008, 06:32:39 PM

Title: What on earth is this creature?
Post by: motorollin on May 19, 2008, 06:32:39 PM
Anyone know what this (http://www.mashley.net/weirdthing.mov) is? (1.5MB QuickTime file). I found it on my clothes and have no idea what it is!

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moto
Title: Re: What on earth is this creature?
Post by: odin on May 19, 2008, 08:50:09 PM
Caterpillar I say, I think I've seen ones like that before 'in the wild'.
Title: Re: What on earth is this creature?
Post by: motorollin on May 19, 2008, 08:58:27 PM
Really? I've never seen a caterpillar with legs only on each end of its body, and I had no idea caterpillars could "stand" like that. I'm keeping it in a jar with some leaves so we'll see what it develops in to :-D

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moto
Title: Re: What on earth is this creature?
Post by: odin on May 19, 2008, 10:22:35 PM
Careful, it might develop into a facehugger overnight :nervous:.

BTW, even children's books have a notion of caterpillars having legs only the at front and end of its body  :-D:
(http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/02/toy_fair/image/hungrycaterpillar2.jpg)
Title: Re: What on earth is this creature?
Post by: motorollin on May 20, 2008, 08:09:39 AM
:lol:

I must have read that book hundreds of times as a child (and a couple as an adult...) and I couldn't even remember that caterpillars don't need legs in the middle if their bodies. Doesn't bode well for my degree, does it ;-)

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moto
Title: Re: What on earth is this creature?
Post by: weirdami on May 20, 2008, 12:21:31 PM
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Doesn't bode well for my degree, does it


in caterpiltology?
Title: Re: What on earth is this creature?
Post by: motorollin on May 20, 2008, 12:50:45 PM
Heh, no for Speech and Language Therapy. Believe it or not human language can be traced back to caterpillars. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is actually on one of my reading lists.

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moto
Title: Re: What on earth is this creature?
Post by: trekiej on May 20, 2008, 06:49:49 PM
I believe I have heard of them as an "inch worm".
It looks like that toy that He-man rode. It swung around though.
Title: Re: What on earth is this creature?
Post by: motorollin on May 21, 2008, 08:54:30 AM
Ok this thing is still alive in its jar and has been stuck to a leaf for a while so I suppose it's getting ready to pupate. There are lots of little brown specks on the bottom of the jar. Do caterpillars poo?

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moto
Title: Re: What on earth is this creature?
Post by: JaXanim on May 21, 2008, 10:59:09 AM
trekiej is correct. It's a moth catapillar commonly known as an inch worm. (http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=inch+worm&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2) Have you never heard the Hans Christian Andersen song:
"Inch worm, inch worm, measuring the marigold. etc."

And yes, the bits in the jar are what you suspect. What goes into a catapillar, comes out. Just like you and me.

TC

Title: Re: What on earth is this creature?
Post by: motorollin on May 21, 2008, 11:18:46 AM
Quote
JaXanim wrote:
trekiej is correct. It's a moth catapillar commonly known as an inch worm. (http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=inch+worm&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2)

Excellent, thanks trekiej and JaX!

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JaXanim wrote:
Have you never heard the Hans Christian Andersen song:
"Inch worm, inch worm, measuring the marigold. etc."

Maybe, but it doesn't help my identify this particular creature ;-)

Quote
JaXanim wrote:
And yes, the bits in the jar are what you suspect. What goes into a catapillar, comes out. Just like you and me.

Interesting, I don't remember my vapourer moth caterpillar doing that. But then IIRC she pupated very soon so maybe she just wasn't hungry :-)

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moto
Title: Re: What on earth is this creature?
Post by: Abou27 on May 24, 2008, 09:54:31 PM
I have nothing to offer this thread other than to say that it entertained in a very pleasant and warm way :-)

Keep it up guys :-)




P.S. This post is a lot more sincere than it may sound  ;-)