The crafty little caterpillar below is
known as a wavy-lined emerald
moth or camouflaged looper
... (Synchlora aerata). It is a species
of moth of the Geometridae family
and can be found in most of North
America. The wingspan is about 17
mm and adults are green with
scalloped or wavy white transverse
lines.
The larvae feed on a wide variety
of plants, including the flower
heads of composite flowers and
other flowering plants, as well as
shrubs and trees. Recorded food
plants include: Aster, Rudbeckia,
Liatris, Solidago, Artemisia,
Achillea and Rubus species.
Wavy-lined emerald moths are well
known for their camouflaging
technique where they attach bits of
the plant petals/tissue along their
backs using silk. Depending on what
plant they are feeding on, they
may adorn all types of different
coloured plants in hopes of
avoiding detection. When the petals
begin to wilt and discolour, they
will discard their outdated
camouflage and replace with a new
‘coat’.