Why did the oakworm caterpillar cross the road?
It seems like every year there's a period of a few weeks when I see a few Anisota caterpillars crossing the road near my office every day (although I don't seem to have posted any of them). Seeing two recent observations with asphalt backdrops, I started wondering if this is a particular trend. Browsing through the first 100 observations of Anisota senatoria larvae, it appears that 30-35 of them are on paved surfaces. Has anyone else noticed this?
@k8thegr8 @ericwilliams @jtuttle @berkshirenaturalist @kylejones
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I notice this with Pyrrharctia caterpillars later in the year. They're so big and fuzzy I can count them while I'm driving!
I used to look for silkworm cats on pavement in mid-summer but they have become so rare now that I forget to look. It would be a challenge to compare the sightings on pavement versus the sightings on leaf litter through. The sampling on the former is much more time efficient!
I haven't noticed this! I'll pay attention now...
Yes, I have noticed this! I went to Myles Standish State Forest last October with a friend, and we saw tons of them crossing the park road. My friend could actually spot them as she drove and we stopped to collect them. I just assumed that the road got in the way while they were in the middle of their wandering stage. I don't see what would draw them there. Maybe the high temperature?
I saw three on the road yesterday while I was running errands on my bike (2 sadly flattened). I assume that, as @osmeterium suggested (and is the case for lots of other wildlife) roads are simply an obstacle on their way to...something.
I passed a spot this morning where, in the span of a few hundred feet, there were at least 3 flattened and 4 actively crossing Anisotas.
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