Excellent picture of the cat. And a great find. As suggested, it was probably wandering to pupate as they dont turn this color until the last two instars. The Automeris is a very variable group. In your region it is probably either the nominate species A. io io or A. io neomexicana. There is even a chance it could be A. io lilith, but which one would not be confirmable until the adult emerges next spring. Many people get "into" the larger silk moths and really enjoy rearing them. But unfortunately the Hemileucinae are often overlooked... mainly because people are afraid of their urticating hairs/spines when they really donÂt need to be. So maybe a FWIW on the stinging cats in the Hemileucinae subfamily (Buck and Io moths) would be of interest to someone here. While all of the Bombcoidea are one of my lep specialties, the Hemileucinae is my favorite subfamily that I have studied the life histories of in several countries and reared many thousands of them over the years. While many of the tropical species/subspecies are polyphagous feeders accepting a fairly wide variety of larval hosts, the NA species (especially the Buck Moths) are mostly very picky feeders that use only one or maybe 2-3 closely related hosts naturally within a given region. A. io is an exception being a general feeder that accepts a wide range of LFPÂs, suggesting its ties with the tropical species (where almost all of the approximately 100 species of Automeris are found). They are also a group that gets heavily parasitized most years. Why most of their females tend to lay large multiple egg rings in several locations. On good years their larva can reach infestation levels and decimate large tracts of LFPÂs, while on poor years it can be next to impossible to find a single cat. Our resident species as a whole do not have the severely toxic and as dangerous of a sting that their tropical cousins have. So the NA species can be safely handled with bare hands and a light touch easily, including the 4 species of Automeris found in NA. What works best is to use your finger tips where your natural calluses act as a shield. I have collected thousands in the wild with very few stings that way (but then I am not effected much by insect or plant stings - have some sort of immunity after so many of them I suppose). But my ex and young son collected them fairly easily too (even the tropical species) and only got stung rarely. The tender spot most often hit is between your fingers, but its possible on any tender bare skin on your body. When handling them never rub your eyes or any other mucous area and always wash your hands very well after handling them. If you are not seriously affected by other insect stings (bees, wasps, ants, etc) or plant toxins then you probably won't be by those from these cats either beyond local irritation/redness of varying degrees that can last for hours to even days. Plain vinegar will neutralize some of the toxin, and keeping antihistamines on hand is a good safe guard if you are susceptible to bites/stings. This is a gregarious subfamily when in the larval stage, often with very effective camouflage up to at least the last two instars in Automeris, and all the way to pupation with the Hemileuca. The NA species tend to only remain gregarious through 3rd instar before dispersing, but the tropical species may remain en mass all the way to pupation also en mass. In tropical Mexico, Central and South America people are seriously maimed, or in extreme cases, even killed every year from accidental mass stings from some of the species of stinging cats there. Locals climbing plants to gather fruits, flowers, etc get mass stung when they climb onto a larval mass on the trunk or a branch with bare skin exposed, or brush against them on plants along forest pathways. Even a single sting, besides being very uncomfortable can leave a permanent scar with most of the tropical species. Both are also possible (but to a much milder, less erious extent) with some of our species. The Hemileucinae as a group are very interesting though and are well worth any extra precautions to get to study the life histories of IMO. And they turn into very beautiful and striking adults. Just be careful and you too can enjoy rearing them. HTH and was of interest L.

American Range double hybrid. Gas oven works well. Electric is still not working. Repairman is supposed to be coming. I love the gas oven and its amazing boiler. It is like a mini flame thrower. Garlic bread toasts perfectly due to the long shape of the broiler. It is also easy to clean. I can't remember what spilled, but it continued to bake on the two racks and bottom of the oven for 2 hours. It wiped off with a damp cloth a couple of days later. (I had forgotten about it.) Maybe one day I can tell you about the electric oven. The store where I ordered it from ordered the double gas so they had to reorder it. They didn't want to. I think they didn't order on purpose so I would have to take the wrong one. (they offered $1000.00 if I took it.) so after waiting 8 weeks for the wrong oven, I waited 14weeks for the second. I Called American. They did not have any orders for hybrids. When I told American what had happened They rushed my hybrid. I got it one week later. So maybe because it was a rush order something didn't get checked.

Dear Deb, My heart goes out to you as you try to belileve in a life after this one. My faith was stringhtened by being with my Momma when she died. Not because I was just with her. But because I witnessed something I can not explaine, to myself or to others. I was sitting on the sofa that day and I noticed that my Mom's breathing was odd. They call it 'fish out of water breathing'. It went on for a while and we could not get her to rouse up or respond in anyway. We knew it was her time to pass and my sister and I sat on either side of her, each holding a hand. Just before she died she opened her eyes, focused on something over our sholders and shook off our hands, and raised her arms, then in weakness her arms fell down, once more before her very last breath she shook off our hands and reached up her arms, like a small child asking to be held, her eyes opened and tears sprung into them, she had a look of complete surprise, then she smiled a small smile and exhaled. That was it, she was gone. I looked at my sister and said 'did you see that too'? And my sister said she had. I was stunned. My Momma saw something or someone I could not see. I remember looking back over my sholder to see what she was looking at. I know she was reaching up to hold someone, she was happy to see them. Was it my Dad who had died a year before, or her parents who had been gone many years? I guess I will not know who came to get her until I see her again... I only know without doubt that my Mom died in front of me and she went from our hands into the arms of someone unseen by us. I believe it was my Dad. That expierence changed me and gave me a stringth in my faith like nothing else I have expierenced so far in my short 50 years. So I can tell you without doubt, I know there is another life beyond this life. I hope this can help you. I do not tell this to many people because in the retelling with just mere words, I can not convey the awe, or magnitute of the expierence itself. I pray that you will find comfort soon. For me, grief has been like the sharp edge of a knife that cuts away at my soul, and time has been the only substance that has been able to dull the edge of the knife. I send you love and positive energy for healing.

tricia ~ I washed my hands of the house a week ago when we pulled the offer. I posted here to vent and also to show the different things going on in the market here in CT. Me, I'm a total 'fence sitter' waiting for the right home to come up in one of my selected towns. School systems do matter as I just left a town where the School system is failing. I do get frustrated living with the in-laws but only b/c it's hard to be a family in your own home and then having to live with another family....... a bit cramped at times. BUT I am fortunate to have a place to stay. Now my husband on the other hand - he makes spur of the moment decisions and bad ones at that - but that is another story. He also has no patience. That being said..... We have a realtor up in the Enfield area who we've used a couple times now - to buy and to sell. I do appreciate your input on this situation and offer to communicate. I've read your posts and responses on the GW and feel like I know you. Also, I LOVE mystic - before being married I was engaged to a guy who had a boat docked on the Mystic River down there. And I love Angie's Pizza! I also wanted to put my situation out there. We have excellent credit, money to buy a home with 20% down and no home to sell. We made a good/great offer on a home and had checked with the town regarding mortgage currently on the home as well as history. We had a contractor come with us to see the house - We know they have a contract on another house that they already obtained a 3 month extension on back at the beginning of May and the house has been on the market a few months - we did our research. We made a good offer the home and the sellers still wanted more. It's 10 days past our negotiations and the house is still on the market - not my problem. I'm sure they have thier reasons as to why they didn't sell. That is thier right as a seller. If they call me - maybe we'll talk but I have no plans to pursue this home. Meanwhile, another home in the neighborhood sold (it wasn't what we were looking for) and a new one just came on the market - we may go see. We like the neighborhood so it may be that we end up in that area anyway. So with a positive attitude the search goes onward. I'm sure there is a house out there waiting for us. Wendy