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Come back to this page each day to read another entry from Frederick R. Gehlbach's almanac of suburban natural and unnatural history, "Messages from the Wild," which chronicles the world of a forested ravine in central Texas.
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Caterpillars are scarce so late in the year, but sometimes the plump green ones of Io and polyphemus moths show up, rapidly gobbling any remaining green leaves. Io larvae are protected by stinging spines, red and white striped warning stripes, and group traveling behavior that accentuates the warning, but a polyphemus should be a juicy morsel for birds and easy prey in the mostly leafless trees. Perhaps heftiness protects this three-and-a-half-inch-long, inch-and-a-quarter-wide behemoth -- essentially the bulk of a small songbird -- although I'd think the chance of a sudden freeze might dismiss both actors from this late-season scene. |
Frederick R. Gehlbach is Professor Emeritus of Biology and Environmental Studies at Baylor University. His ecological studies have taken him from New Zealand to Slovakia and, in the Americas, from Alaska and Newfoundland to Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. His research interests include the life-history strategies of small owls, small burrowing snakes and urban wildlife ecology.
From MESSAGES FROM THE WILD: AN ALMANAC OF SUBURBAN NATURAL AND UNNATURAL HISTORY by Frederick R. Gehlbach, Copyright © 2002. Courtesy of the University of Texas Press.
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