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giant moths are relatively common. Most people are familiar with the Luna Moth, but we also have Cecropia Moths, Polyphemus Moths, Royal Walnut Moths, and a few others.
The moths are often attracted to lights at night, and often found on nearby window screens and walls in the morning hours. These moths lay eggs which will hatch into caterpillars.
By late summer and early fall, the larval stages of these giant moths will be giant caterpillars. Most will grow to be three to five inches long, and be quite robust. Green is the predominate color of most species, and they may have spots, spines, hair, or horns.
The most unusual, and by far the fiercest looking caterpillar in Virginia is the Hickory Homed Devil, which is the larval stage of the Royal Walnut Moth. The giant caterpillars of late summer are usually found singly, and almost never cause any damage to their host plants. While they may feed on a variety of hosts, many specimens are found while they are walking across the deck or driveway.
These giant caterpillars will pupate in early fall and overwinter, to emerge next summer. Since these insects are not pests, they are not pictured in most reference books which deal with insects in the garden.
Some of the best reference books to identify unusual insects are the Golden Nature Guides, which are written for children. There is an edition that covers moths and butterflies and has many pictures of the moth, butterfly, and caterpillar stages.
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