Japanese Saturnia Moth Caterpillar クスサン幼虫（蛾）

A hairy caterpillar (in the last instar?) of saturniid moth (Saturnia japonica japonica, family Saturniidae) wandering into the dead branch of witch-hazel (Hamamelis japonica). Mid-July 2008 in Japan.

雑木林でマンサクの枝がなぜか一部枯れていた。そこに迷い込んだ美しく立派な毛虫。これはクスサン屋久島以北亜種（蛾）の幼虫です。もしや繭を作り始めるかとしばらく眺め­ていたら、Uターンしただけでした。調べてみたらマンサクはクスサンの食草として記載されてはいなかった。

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Saturnia
• moth
• larva
• caterpillar
• wander
• クスサン
• ヤママユガ科
• 幼虫
• 毛虫

[TheOarFish]

This footage is very clear, great filming.

[sigma1920]

thx for watching.

it was grown big as palmsize.

u can also view my movies of their later stage (pupa and adult) if u search for "Saturnia japonica" in YT.

[anne2matthew]

Wow..it's very hairy...and pretty!

[sigma1920]

hey, thx!

few ppl appreciate their beauty.

this caterpillar has blue eye-spots (which are breathing spiracles) along both sides.

[sigma1920]

while filming this, i expected it to start making a cocoon.

but that was not the case. lol

it was just stray on the wrong branch and eventually made a sloooow u-turn.

[anne2matthew]

lol..some patience you have!! :D