Tag Archives: Ceanothus moth

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Ceanothus, wild lilac, has been in bloom, so it’s not a surprise to find the striking Ceanothus Silk Moth. But it was a surprise when one landed on Danielle Warner’s shirt.

She wrote, “The moth was hanging out in the driveway prior to that, I guess. It flew onto my shirt as I was trying to move it to safety. It hung out for about a minute, seemed pretty content, then I moved it into the field.” Danielle’s shirt is just about the color of Ceanothus blooms.

Here's a photo I took of blooming Ceanonthus.

Thanks to Danielle for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

It's a lovely day, except for some fog along portions of the coast. Sunny, breezy, and warm away from the coast. Sounds like spring!

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You can't miss this big caterpillar - it's lime-green! And it has little yellow and black antennas, and white spiky bumps, and lots of green feet.

Caterpillar of a Ceanothus Silkmoth by Peter Reimuller

At first I thought it was the caterpillar of a Hummingbird Moth but the markings were a little off. Then I thought of the huge Ceanothus Moth and...bingo!...I had the answer. This is the caterpillar of that beautiful moth.

Here is what this caterpillar becomes, photographed by Clay Yale. What a transformation!

Ceanothus Moth by Clay Yale (Medium)

Thanks to Peter and Clay for allowing me to share their photos with you here.