willow caterpillar (cossus cossus)

What you can't find in your backyard

This willow caterpillar is about 9 cm long and one and a half centimeters in diameter, so a sturdy boy. It can live in a tree for 3 to 4 years, while the butterfly only lives for a few months. A special caterpillar, with impressive "jaws".

photo 1:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2d37​Dyz

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2agB​54A

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2agB​5cG

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/QUo2​L3

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/QUo2​wA

Great set!

Wonderful find and captures.

In the UK they are known as Goat Moths and don't just use Willow as lhps. Oak is a favourite and I have seen old trees that have been used for so many years that they are peppered with the large exit holes. The larvae will also eat swede! I know this for sure as I have reared them in the past on swede and they only took about 1 year to reach pupation size. They'll give you a sharp nip with those massive jaws if you handle them too much and are supposed to smell like goats, hence the English name, but I didn't notice that they did - it was more like rotting swede!

Did you rear this one yourself, Marco, or find it wandering, looking for a pupation site?

Lovely series - that's a big caterpillar !

Brian V.

Fantastic! Pretty small mouth parts given it's size

Great shots of an impressive-looking caterpillar!