Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Caterpillars and Crumpets

It's time for yet another installment of "Insect Identification". You have to read that in one of those deep voices with an echo-ey sound in your head. Like "Muppets in Spaaaaaaace". Ok, so let's try again:

"It time for yet another installment of Innnnnsect Identificaaaaaation..."

In our last episode we figured out that we had a Writing Spider wolfing down a bee right outside my window. BUT in this episode we must conclude what the wicked, albeit weirdly beautiful, creature is that has made himself at home by devouring every single leaf off of my tomato plants.

It's almost worth it, though, because this is honestly one of the most odd things that I have laid eyes on, so if you get this, y'all are good. REAL GOOD. And my hat will certainly be off to you. So without further ado....what the heck is THIS (and do not say a caterpillar, smart alek...that's my job):

And because I aim to please, I won't end this post with a mere caterpillar. No, I will show you my bizarre moment from yesterday. I must first tell you that I have lived here, in this exact location for 9 years. It is across the street from a pretty busy train track yet never....never-ever....have I seen anything like this:

And not only have I never seen actual people on the train (except the conductor, of course), I would never in my wildest dreams have thought that I would view grown men snoozing under sunflower umbrellas like they were sailing down the River Thames.

Tea and Crumpets, anyone? BIZARRE.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

You have lots of Bizarre here today.

I think I found the problem with your caterpillar. Some kind of host (fly, wasp) has laid eggs on it's back.

picture of another here

http://www.zoopy.com/photo/
detail/id/303

Duckygirl said...

These insect post are fun!

We think it's a tomato hornworm, hence the fact that it's eating your tomato plants :)

-Laura

another photo can be seen here:
http://www.duke.edu/~jspippen/naturephotos/tomato-hornworm-braconids050916-6225durhamz.jpg

Krista said...

Ummm. Not sure about your little creature. Hilarious pics of our hard working railroad dudes!

Can I have a scone with my tea?
Krista

DaNella Auten said...

lol I drove by your house, hence by the sunflower umbrellas... yesterday, and thought, "Ok I have seen them up there resting, especially since they have been replacing those rails, but I have NEVER seen hefty railroad dudes with SUNFLOWER umbrellas!!!"

Diane Meyer said...

I did not enjoy your nature picture. I hope you had a really strong zoom on that camera.
PS..it is "Pigs in Spaaaacce!" Love that.

Caroline said...

Didn't look at any other comments just to play fair. ;-)
It is a green horned caterpillar that has Braconid wasp eggs hanging off of him. Pretty cool actually...it is nature's own pest control. The green horned monster eats your tomato plants and the wasp babies eat the caterpillar. Isn't God inventive?? There are gardeners who release the Braconid wasp into their gardens for this reason.

The sunflower umbrellas....wow....a little disturbing.

Anonymous said...

Ok Caroline's explaination is just COOL! I wanna know if she cheated and asked Pam C.... ;-)

3girlsmom said...

Gross. Chills. Shivers. Ugh.

I think it's a tomato worm - my grandfather used to go crazy when he found them on his tomato plants.

The contestants on Fear Factor had to eat them, too. Alive. Squishy.

Don't know about you, but that's not worth $50,000 to me.

Kent said...

Wow--you live in the land of the Bizarre!! The worm really grossed me out--hope I do not dream about him like I did Reformed Grits insect!
The railroad thing is just weird!

javamamma said...

What the heck?

Anonymous said...

Your blog has given me 2 good laughs this week..thank YOU! The insect..a little yuck, but as long as you follow yuck with a laugh...you're good. REAL men nap under big, bright flowery umbrellas...didn't you know? ;-) I'm so thankful for the word 'bizarre'...there's no other way to describe this.

Anonymous said...

p.s. Caroline, you totally get the homeschool mom of the day award.

Growin' With It said...

love the umbrellas! and the hairdo on that catepillar...to die for! cute one.

Halfmoon Girl said...

I am not really sqeamish, but that pic of the caterpillar with eggs on it's back kinda grossed me out!

I LOVED the pic of the umbrella men! Have you found out what they were doing?

Bethany said...

Gayle,
I've read that you already got your answer re: the caterpillar. =) I only know what that beastie is because the classroom I worked in raised the nasty things last spring. Ucky.

Though I have to admit that I get a sick sort of pleasure from hearing that those wasp-babies are going to make a good lunch out of that thing. (Sick mind, I know).

The men with umbrellas? Well... yeah, kinda weird.

~Bethany

Kimmie said...

Wow, that is something I never hope to see while I am weeding my garden...yikes!

Neat post.
Kimmie
mama to 6
one homemade and 5 adopted