#moth larva

Hyles lineata — White Lined Sphinx moth caterpillars at different instars. 🌸🐛

Lately I’ve been trying to go for more walks, just to keep my body moving, and I discovered a nearby bush that is covered in white lined sphinx caterpillars! Now I visit them daily. I think it’s so neat that these are all the same species, just different instars!

Hyles Lineata is definitely my favorite native moth, I even have a tattoo of one! Here’s an adult I saw on vacation a couple years ago and a photo of my tattoo right after getting it done (hence the plastic wrap.)

Marbled Emperor

Heniocha dyops

From the saturniidae family. They can be found in  Angola, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania.

Nine of Horns /Gum-leaf Skeletoniser (Uraba lugens)

Upright keywords: Despair, Guilt, Mental Anguish, Trauma

Reverse keywords: Brighter Perspective, Hope, Optimism, Reaching Out

A haunting vision of the depths of suffering and despair, the Nine of Horns speaks to the dimmest recesses of the human experience. Confronting us with the specter of our deepest and darkest nightmares, this card encourages us to face our fears, acknowledge our worries, and seek ways to alleviate our mental suffering. It is a warning of the power of negative thoughts to disarm even the strongest of spirits.

The gum-leaf skeletoniser moth is known for their bizarre molting habits as larva. With each molting cycle, the head portion of the exoskeleton remains attached to the body, resulting in a gradual increase in size throughout their lifespan - creating a layered effect that has gained it the clever nickname, the mad-hatterpillar. This adaptation defends against external threats, much like the psychological armor individuals may construct to protect themselves from harm. With their macabre appearance and voracious appetite, these strange young moths are a potent metaphor for the consuming nature of anxiety and despair.

To emerge from great torment requires supreme courage - to release the pangs of regret and purge the darkness and negativity within we must look into the face of fear and make of our suffering into a teacher of hope.

The Lesson Of This Card: "I have the power to purge the darkness and let the light back in."

Pyrrharctia isabella (woolly bear caterpillar)