Q: What does a six inch long, inch in diameter caterpillar with a double row of black spikes along its back and several nearly inch long bright orange black-tipped horns eat?
A: Anything it wants.
I encountered this little dragon walking along the path in front of me on my way to work this morning. Came up on it just after passing by the Adelphi Mill. It definitely is the sort of thing that will bring you up short. I stopped and sat down in front of it and watched it. I believe I've had nightmares that involved friendlier looking creatures than this. Later in the day at work - I work in a library - with the help of my friend Robert I set about answering some immediate questions I had. What the heck was that? How poisonous is it? Do things like that really live around here or did it escape from some secret lab? It turns out that it is native to the region although it is not a common animal. It is a Hickory Horned Devil [Citheronia regalis (F.)]. Its supposed to be quite harmless, and lives by streams and eats Sumac, Sycamore, Willow, and Cottonwood leaves like that - not people. Eventually it turns into the Regal moth, possibly going by the name Indrid Cold
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with a double row of black spikes along its back and several nearly inch long bright orange black-tipped horns eat?
A: Anything it wants.
I stopped and sat down in front of it and watched it. I believe I've had nightmares that involved friendlier looking creatures than this. Later in the day at work - I work in a library - with the help of my friend Robert I set about answering some immediate questions I had. What the heck was that? How poisonous is it? 
Do things like that really live around here or did it escape from some secret lab? It turns out that it is native to the region although it is not a common animal. It is a 
