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Inchworm Caterpillar

Photo by MatthewFuller
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Notes:

I'm still amazed that I noticed this! This little caterpillar was around 15mm long, walking along a steel wire fence.

It would contort itself into a small loop, then lift its entire front half forwards, then do the same with the back half and repeat, no conventional crawling, this little creature was more like a living slinky!

Species ID Suggestions

Inchworm

Reference Link
shebebusynow
2

Comments (7)
Ashish
Oh...its walking like a Leech..
MatthewFuller
that's a wonderfully appropriate name for this creature!
peter
A positive ID is determined by having a complete Family and Species scientific name. You've identified the family which is fantastic, but let's see if you can find the species ;)
shebebusynow
We call them "inchworms" because they measure off their progress so deliberately, an inch at a time. I've seen more than one caterpillar species do this.
LauraMaria
Caterpillars that move like that are called inchworms! Or at least they were in North America. They grow up to me geometer moths. But, as I said, I don't know that this is the same here in the UK!
Photographed
PublishedMay 21, 2011

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