An Unkindness of Ravens

By Nevermore

Wooly bear caterpillar

Possibly Anthela nicothoe (Urticating anthelid – a moth), though I might be wrong. 'Urticating' as in the hairs break off in your skin and can give you urticaria (hives). If you look BIG, you might just be able to see the little sharp points on the hairs around it's face. The black dots next to the white patch (that looks strangely like a tusk… new species of tusked caterpillar?) are the ocelli, or simple eyes.

It is about 5 to 6cm long and I didn't touch it with my hands, just a stick.

And, looking for my previous blipped image of one of these caterpillars, it was exactly a year and a day ago and from exactly the same spot on my oak tree. Great time keeping, moths!

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