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Spitfire

Anthela varia

Photo by AmazingAmma
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

This is an example of a mature caterpillar. They're born black with white thorax and long, sparse grey hairs. When mature, they turn brown with tufts of grey/white hair on the sides between segments.

Habitat:

This one was crawling fairly rapidly across one of my outdoor chairs. The species seems to be specific to Australia.

Notes:

I've always known these caterpillars as "spitfires", but I don't think that's right. If anyone has any more information, I'd be grateful for it :)

Here's another site for reference:
http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_moths/HairyMary.htm

Reference Links:

Anthela varia, Anthela varia

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (2)
AlixDolstra
Hi! This is not a spit fire. Spitfires are a grub that hang around in large groups and you will often see them travelling in a neat line from point A to B. A spitfire is not a caterpillar and does not turn into a moth or butterfly. A lot of people believe that any caterpillar that is hairy is automatically a spitfire, mostly due to lack of knowledge on the subject. What you have here is a Hairy Mary who will one day be a large moth. The most these cats will give you is a rash if you happen to be sensitive to it, but otherwise they are completely harmless. This is what a spitfire actually is in this link: http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/349366/nature-notes-the-defence-of-spitfire-grubs/

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WILD Cities: Urban Biodiversity

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Photographed
PublishedOctober 9, 2011

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