Saturday, August 15, 2009

Weird little creature

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What IS this?! Does anyone know its name?

Its head is on the right.
I stepped outside my house and saw it inching its way forward like a worm. Touched it with a twig and it curled up into a ball.
All those leafy-like things are part of the animal (I learned to my surprise)!
So is it a caterpillar, you think?
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All creatures great and small are posted every week at Camera-Critters Sunday. You are invited.

22 comments:

  1. Wow!
    I hope someone comes along and knows exactly what this is... alas I don't.. I have been looking on google for anything it might be... but nothing came up anything like this.. Jerusalem as big crickets I found out... but I do not think it is one of them... I thought of a Hermit Crab, and wondered if a caterpillar copied this idea, it would certainly be well hidden in leaf litter. I will keep popping back now to see what this might be.... and if I come up with anything will surely let you know.

    Tom

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  2. The only thing I have found that comes close to this are Stick and Leaf Insects... 'Leaf insects (Phasmatodea)' is the nearist.

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  3. Tom might be right, Dina. It looks very much like a stick insect. Can't you wait and see what it is going to do? And take more photos?
    Thanks for your visit and kind comment!

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  4. What an unusual critter!!! Thanks for sharing ;--)
    Hugs and blessings,

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  5. I thought of a phasmid, too. Many species will imitate a leaf, I haven't heard of them curling up, though. That is one weird critter.

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  6. I took a closer look at the photo and I believe it is indeed a caterpillar. It has build itself a shelter from leaves and stuff, many bugs will do that, for example Masked hunters, a true bug species who cover themselves in dust as nymphs, or caddiesflies, who's larvae use small stones, grass or other things they can get to build a tube for themselves.

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  7. What on earth is that. That really is the weirdest critter I have seen since being a apart of this neme. I have trouble identifying butterflies never mind this little fellow. Or would that be miss.

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  8. No idea! I thought it was some leaves.

    I played too :)

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  9. Different friend indeed. I do not know and mommy needs her glasses...so!
    Happy Camera Critters and a beautiful Sunday as well!
    purrs and love
    your friend
    Luna

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  10. I may have found it, on a website dedicated to the insect fauna of Israel. The caterpillar in the picture has build its tube from needles or treebark, but I guess that this is your critter The family is also called Bagworms for obvious reasons.

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  11. Whow.. no idea what it is but it is strange. I have seen some strange bugs on tv shows that look like they have leaves on them so I assume its one of those but no idea what they were called.

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  12. All creatures great and small, indeed. How creative our good God is. I'm glad that you saw it and didn't accidentally step on it!

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  13. My goodness! What an interesting looking critter! Is it an alien, do you think??? !!!!!! ;D

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  14. Well, you made my day. Its amazing that life as small and unique as this little guy goes on even at our feet.
    Thanks for sharing!

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  15. I don't know.

    licks and sniffs, Sasha
    http://chicamom85-sassysasha.blogspot.com/

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  16. Looks like Jedediah came up trumps with the ID.... I will be reading up on these sometime this week..
    I'm glad you pointed me to this posting... and thank you for your visits and comments over at mine. I still blog daily... if I can but with all the stuff going on I find I do not have as much time for visiting like I did... if I remember correctly we met through Sky Watch... have a great weekend or whats left of it..
    Tom

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  17. Now that is one of the strangest creatures I've seen in a long time. That's a amazing!

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  18. Hmm, we have bagworms here as well, but none with as fancy a house as yours has made. Really incredible!

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  19. looks like dried bouganvillia petals

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