GIANT, pretty, moth!

There was a flurry of excitement as the students gathered around this giant moth on the playground. Three of them ran inside to get me and a camera, I am glad they found me! I have never seen something so big and beautiful. I always think of moths as the little, brown ones that flutter around the lights outside. The boys that came to get me with the camera earlier just came with a book. They found the caterpillar and moth when they got to class! It is called the Cecropia Moth and is the largest caterpillar in Canada and the US. It can grow to 10 cm as a caterpillar and be very fat. The caterpillar eats many different tree leaves such as lilac, apple, ash and cherry. We have lots of lilac trees around our playground, maybe that is where it came from!
Check this out!

 

 

 

This is my adult hand!