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Miniature sarcophagus

BY: @nikv | CREATED: Sept. 6, 2018, 4:22 p.m. | VOTES: 70 | PAYOUT: $17.50 | [ VOTE ]

I noticed this on top of the freshly-dug earth around my house and couldn't believe my eyes at the size of it:

[IMAGE: https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmYS4quF8WJSoBcvpJXVppDxUCB8DD1QUjNohGDhgmML4z/hawk%20moth%20pupae.jpg]

On my hand for comparison

[IMAGE: https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmYNE1VTW2XJSXkWM9gTQXLfSuXRyWuxjP7tmaPMG8QdTu/hawk%20moth%20pupae3.jpg]

Unfortunately it was damaged by the digging and the moth inside has died. It's a pupating hawk moth of some kind. The caterpillars of this moth are one of those huge caterpillars that can eat up half the garden in one week. Last summer, I noticed that something ate my leopard lily leaves down to nothing although I never did find the culprit but I think that it must have been one of these caterpillars. They pupate underground and emerge in spring.

[IMAGE: https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmQus38gbcxSRnKB79EsfcwjUXnwiBExKZvKNZ6bfmHWGZ/hawk%20moth%20pupae2.jpg]

The head looks like a gas mask and the pipe-like object is a proboscis sheath, which got broken when it was dug up.

Definitely an example of art imitating nature, this is like something out of H.R. Giger

TAGS: [ #insects ] [ #moths ] [ #pupae ] [ #metamorphosis ] [ #nature ]

Replies

@axel21 | Sept. 6, 2018, 6:34 p.m. | Votes: 0 | [ VOTE ]

Nunca había visto o escuchado algo igual, la naturaleza es algo que nunca deja de sorprender.

@ludmila.kyriakou | Sept. 6, 2018, 9:01 p.m. | Votes: 1 | [ VOTE ]

Very interesting!!!
This is the first time I've seen this!
Great photo!

@nikv | Sept. 7, 2018, 6:18 p.m. | Votes: 0 | [ VOTE ]

Thank you

@sanddrift | Sept. 6, 2018, 10:39 p.m. | Votes: 0 | [ VOTE ]

It looks amazing

@nikv | Sept. 7, 2018, 6:22 p.m. | Votes: 0 | [ VOTE ]

The weirdness of the insect world is fascinating

@curatorcat | Sept. 6, 2018, 11:15 p.m. | Votes: 0 | [ VOTE ]

Nature is pretty amazing! It almost looks like something that would hold an alien creature in a scary sci-fi movie.

=^..^=

@nikv | Sept. 7, 2018, 6:21 p.m. | Votes: 0 | [ VOTE ]

Insects are completely sci-fi, I love that about them

@supersoju | Sept. 7, 2018, 10:36 a.m. | Votes: 0 | [ VOTE ]

That is HUGE! A caterpillar that big that could eat half a garden in a week!? My goodness. The external covering looks pretty tough and solid. Nothing like the little cocoon I have.

@nikv | Sept. 7, 2018, 6:19 p.m. | Votes: 1 | [ VOTE ]

I am exaggerating just a little but they certaily do a lot of damage to a plant

@andrijana | Sept. 7, 2018, noon | Votes: 0 | [ VOTE ]

Yes, Giger :)
That name immediately recalls Jodorowsky's Dune in my mind.

@nikv | Sept. 7, 2018, 6:19 p.m. | Votes: 0 | [ VOTE ]

Exactly

@white.tiger | Sept. 7, 2018, 2:22 p.m. | Votes: 0 | [ VOTE ]

Its amazing how many unusual things you are finding by digging underground.

@nikv | Sept. 7, 2018, 6:20 p.m. | Votes: 0 | [ VOTE ]

I am always on the lookout for things like that

@kaminchan | Sept. 10, 2018, 4:49 a.m. | Votes: 0 | [ VOTE ]

Amaxing! At first I thought it was some kind of old pottery from ancient time!!
This looks like alien pot from other galaxy!!

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