The larvae pictured here may seem a bit out of place on a snowy winter’s day. Who are these guys? We don’t have a video for you, but they were reported to be alive and wriggling when found on top of the snow.
Answer
Large yellow underwing caterpillars.
Johanna Vienneau of New Hampshire was quite surprised to find caterpillars writhing on top of the snow-covered ground one morning while walking out to her barn. She found about 25 in all, and wrote to Northern Woodlands for help identifying these unlikely winter visitors.
We learned from Trish Hanson, entomologist for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, that these are large yellow underwing (Noctua pronuba) caterpillars, sometimes called winter cutworm. While it may seem odd to find a fleshy caterpillar on a January day, these cutworms are active during winter thaws, and can be found sauntering down sidewalks and wriggling into garages.
This week’s contest winner was Gabe Roxby of Dover, NH