Growing...Growing...Grown

Luna caterpillar at about 22 days. J.Schaeffer

The luna caterpillars are growing...growing...almost grown.  At three weeks of age, they are as long as my thumb and almost ready to make a cocoon.  They are efficient eating machines, consuming an impressive amount of sweetgum each day and producing an equally  impressive amount of frass.  Frass is a fancy word for caterpillar poop--remember that in your next Scrabble game!