Specodina abbottii

Sphecodina abbottii larva, Renfrew, Ontario,
about an hour northwest of Ottawa, courtesy of Judi Enright.

Judi sent me this beautiful image of a Sphecodina abbottii larva and writes,

"We live about an hour northwest of Ottawa and encountered (spring 2004) a very large caterpillar like 'thing', about the size of my ring finger, with an 'eye' on one end...gun metal blue on top and tan brown on the bottom. It was segmented, and had little nubbins for legs on a few of the front and rear segments.

I've lived all my life in the 'bush' but have never seen anything like this....if this was indeed a caterpillar, it surely would pupate into 'Mothra' and wreak havoc on Eastern Canada.

It was carefully removed to a protected area under a large spruce tree adjacent the garage....it had to have come from there or the mat of Virginia Ivy covering the garage. It was gone the next day."

Judi is probably correct about the "Virginia Ivy", and the larva probably dug a subterranean chamber in which to pupate.

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