Gretchen Holst

Aug 17, 2017

We found this beauty today in our back yard here in Charleston SC. I've put him in a jar to show the grand kids. I've given him some small pecan branches to eat on. Is there a way to keep him for a few days?

RICKY DAVIS

Jul 13, 2016

found one today ,
its app.5" l.and app.has a1.5" dia.
looks like largest cluster of horns is on rear.
this dude is very aggressive(mean).
does the stingers has poison?

Meagan Hamilton

Sep 8, 2013

Found one of these bad boys in High Point, NC today. He scared me, but I was beyonddd fascinated (being that I'm an amateur nature photographer). I have taken literally hundreds of pictures of him by this point. My parents and others thought I was mistaking him for a snake (really? -_-) till they saw with their own eyes. We put him in a terrarium till my mom researched and found out what he was and how he worked (burrowing). So we put him back in the yard and I've been watching him to mark the spot where he burrowed...but that's the problem. He's already in his third stage (having turned turquoise) and it's time for him to burrow but my yard is topped with mulch, under that has an anti-weed layer of thin black fabric and then some lovely red clay underneath that. I'm honestly worried that he won't be able to burrow here. Does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks.

Trish Oberg

Sep 6, 2013

Hi! My son and his friend saw one of these amazing, beautiful caterpillars yesterday.
They were so excited to see such a unique caterpillar. We looked it up right away and found out the name of the type of caterpillar.
Since then....my son has been researching and reading up on all the neat facts about the hickory horned caterpillar. The kids let him crawl back into the trees...but really want to see one again.
Where are they most likely to be found?
This one just wandered out of the garden...so we are hoping to see another.
Thank you!
Trish
Mt. Laurel, NJ

Tom

Aug 17, 2013

Found one of these crossing my back yard when my Golden Retriever stopped to sniff at it. Glad to find your website and discover I saw my first hickory horned devil. I measured this one at 5 inches long. I live in a rural area close to Montgomery, Alabama and I have never seen one of these before. I placed it at the edge of a wooded area with a lot of mulch and downed limbs. I went back to look for it and saw it crawling along a limb into the woods. A friend thought it might be poisonous till I found your website and confirmed its identification. Thanks for your informative website.

Olivia

Sep 10, 2012

Neighbors found one today in Haddonfield, NJ. All the kids stopped to look on the way home from school.

Guest

Aug 13, 2012

I was fishing the Wissahickon Creek in Philadelphia and I noticed this long turquoise object floating by me in the water. I took my rod and flicked it out of the water, and came to discover my first Hickory Horned Devil. I was amazed. I assume he had fallen out of a tree into the stream. I placed it on the stream bank and took plenty of photos and video. About 20 mins later i went back to look for him and it had burrowed into the ground under a dead tree, with just a bit of his body still exposed out of the hole. Ive been fishing this creek for 25 years and have never seen one, or heard about one before. Amazing creature.

Diana

Mar 6, 2012

I found this creative looking creature when the whole family whent camping. I was riding my bike when I almost ran it over. I thought it was only a humongus magnolia leaf with all sorts of weird bugs all over it, then I looked closer, but it snapped at me. I told every one but they didn't beleive me until I dragged my mom over there. Every one beleived me when they hurried over after hearing my mom scream bloody murder! After that, we took pictures and posted them on Facebook. My uncle was being an idiotic bozo and was messing with it and it was going crazy and trying to attack him. But I've always known that thay are harmless. That's my story of how I found a Hickory Horned Devil

Aditya

Feb 8, 2012

My friend found this thing in her backyard about 6 months ago, everybody down there was totally scared of this creature. Later it simply went back to woods without harming anybody. She lives in New Stanton, Pennsylvania.

Glenda Flot

Sep 25, 2010

Thank you for your information. My sister and I saw one while on a hiking trip in Bogue Chitto State Park in Louisiana. It was meandering passed while we were hiking the Discovery Trail. Thanks Again!!

Amy Tallent

Sep 14, 2010

Wow! Found one crawling on the sidewalk today in Morganton, NC. Put in a jar to show the kids when they got home from school. It looks so intimidating! Was told that it was a tobacco worm but wanted to be sure. Thanks for your site!

Brandy Strickland

Sep 9, 2010

I was riding my bike up the gravel drive and I came across this Scary thing! Could not beleive it. Went to get a jar, so I could show my grandparents, husband and kids! Grandpa thought it was a saddleback, but I looked it up on internet and found out different. WOW!! I later let him go into the woods. He is happy that I turned him loose, and maybe I will be lucky to see the moth.

stephanie white

Sep 2, 2010

wow...we just found one of those on the pecan tree outside. the limbs are hanging low and my son walked right into it! we are in north central florida. i have lived here my entire life and never seen one of these. they are large and rather scary!

Ashley Butler

Aug 29, 2010

i live in atlanta and as i was walking home wit my son and daughter this huge caterpillar crossed our path i was terrified because i hate caterpillars so was my daughter who is 3 and son 2...it was the most scariest thing i ever saw in my life! so i posted it on fb for everyone 2 c

Amanda

Aug 27, 2010

I saw this big huge thing walking down the sidewalk as I was walking.I have never been so frightened by a bug in my life.I literally screamed and cried..lmbo now but I was like this is unreal, is someone "punking" me..lol.the grass had freshly been cutted and I guess this creature was looking for more grass or trees or whatever..Im just so happy im not going crazy and Im not the only person to see it...My God what a weird looking thing....I had to look it up!!thanks guys!

Karen Scott

Aug 25, 2010

I was walking around in my yard, picking up broken twigs and came upon this thing! Yikes... I had to pick it up with a stick and put it in a container and get it to my grandson for his "Show and Tell". What a scary looking insect, or whatever.....

Heather Beery

Aug 25, 2010

I've been trying to find out what this was all night. My sister and I came home from school and found it out by our mailbox while walking the dog. It does make sense now though, since we have an oak tree nearby. I thought it was some kind of endangered species of insect or something. Good to know it can't hurt me though.

Jill Bertone

Aug 17, 2010

I live in Colts Neck, NJ and found one of these caterpillars at the end of my driveway. It scared me to death. My husband scooped it up in a cup and showed my father in law, but they couldn't figure out what it was. looked to me like it should have come out of the rain forrest or something. My husband then let it go. Local farmer told us it was probably a tomato caterpillar, but when i looked that up it looked similar, but not quite the same. Luckily came across your site and recognized that this was it. Our yard is full of black walnut trees so that explains it. thanks so much to this site!

Elizabeth Snead

Aug 15, 2010

My husband and I came across one in Hibernia County Park, Chester, PA 8/14/2010

Eric Bard

Jul 27, 2010

My son Eric, was helping his neighbor with a tree stump. Here was this huge caterpillar, the hickory horned devil! We were not aware it was in this area. It was huge and quite unique!! He has pictures if you wish to see it! Very exciting! Virginia Wolff, Joplin MO

Vicky Hunt

Oct 29, 2009

A parent brought one of these into our school for the kids to see. I live in north central Florida. I want to keep him in class and let him turn into a moth. How would I go about doing this? Thanks, Vicky

David Nepley

Sep 21, 2009

On 9/18/09 I saw a horned devil walking across the walk way in our back yard. It was about 5" long and much bigger than any caterpillar I had seen. My wife came out with only a towel on when I said "come quick". We have an ash and walnut tree in the yard. It must have been looking for a place to burrow before changing. We live in Philadelphia.

Diana Martowlis

Sep 21, 2009

We found a huge orange fuzzy moth while on vacation in Wildwood, NJ in July. It was sitting on our balcony, alive, but not moving much. how surprising to know the caterpillar is sooo big. Thank goodness we didn"t stumble across it in it's "devil" phase.

Corey Robinson

Sep 21, 2009

I found one of these just north of Houston, TX(in conroe). It was about 6 inches long.. Never seen anything like it... It is now in an aquarium... It shrunk to about half it's size and went under the dirt.... It's probably in it's cocoon now...

David Adams

Sep 16, 2009

Found one of these last week (9-9-09) in central Ky, it was along a creekbank. it has since cacooned itself and we're awaiting it's opening.

Mike Sansone

Sep 15, 2009

I am a Locomotive Engineer and this afternoon, 9-15-09 we had one of these "fall" out of the sky and hit the front windshield on the locomotive. I'm guessing he fell out of a tree.When it hit, there was a large amount of goop that came out of him but he landed on the nose of the cab and we were able to stop and pick him up. Thought we discovered a new species for a minute :). Brought it home to show my son before it dies but it won't last long, it's covered in I guess what is blood and has a large bulge on the side now. Pretty crazy looking creature though.

Catherine Brown

Sep 15, 2009

We found one on 9/14/2009 in Hamilton,NJ. It is very freaky and with two boys that love to catch bug and study them they WILL not even look at it long! We too

will be taking it to school! To freak out others - hee hee.

Kim Bird

Sep 13, 2009

We found one in South River, NJ 9/13/09 at our local baseball field. Freaked me out when I almost stepped on it in the grass. My 7 year old son brought it home to show his science teacher tomorrow. Very scary when you just happen upon it!!

Xavier Goines

Sep 12, 2009

We live in Johnson City, TN. We found one of these in our front yard today (9-12-09). I was wondering if anyone knows if you can keep one of these and watch it change into a moth? My mom is a science teacher and we would love to put soil in a fish tank and watch it do it's thing. Does any one know if this will work?

Collin Jean

Sep 8, 2009

hey...we're from sulphur, la. next to lake charles. my dad found one just a couple of days ago when he discovered a big pile of what looked like rabbit droppings. not having seen a rabbit recently...he simply looked up and it was in a gum tree next to his shed. stretched out....it's over nine inches long. it's currently in my possession to find out what it was. we heard the same thing...that they were from the east coast. wonder what they're doin this far west.

Bob Farenga

Sep 7, 2009

Found one on our wood pile yestreday in NJ 9/6/09.Real "freaky" looking my son wouldn't even get close. So strange had some of the neighbors over to find out what it was never seen one before. I was told it was a horned tomato worm. Thanks for your site and info now I know what it really is called (HHD).

DONALD MANESS

Sep 7, 2009

I TOUGHT THIS CATAPILLAR WAS FOUND ONLY IN THE EAST . THE ONE I FOUND IS IN SIBLEY LOUISIANA. WE HAD NEVER SEEN ANOTHER IN ALL OF OUR LIVES . WE SPEND MUCH TIME IN THE WOODS AND THIS WAS A FIRST .

Aaron Zickefoose

Sep 6, 2009

We found one of these yesterday, Sept 5, 2009 on a homeschool trip to Blue Jay Point in Raleigh, NC. It took a while to get the courage to pick it up, but no one knew what it was until the park ranger went and looked it up. Anyone know when they burrow? Ours was about 5 inches long.

Emma Goldberg

Sep 1, 2009

I almost cycled over one of these while on vacation in Washington DC, on Rocky Creek Trail. I took a photo, and an expert at the Insect House in the Zoo was able to ID it for me. I was fascinated by it, and have never seen such a big caterpillar before. While I was sketching it on a postcard, it occured to me that it is pretty similar (except for the horns) to the Very Hungry Caterpillar. Has anyone else noticed the startling resemblance?

Christine Wardick

Aug 22, 2009

Me and my two boys where down by a stream that runs by my house in north carolina and we found a HHD floating in the water I thought it may be posiones so we put it in a fish net and brought it back to our house and asked our elderly neighbors if they have seen any thing like it before and they all said no! One neighbor said to take it to a museum thanks to your site i was able to find out what this thing was thank you!!

tina wright

Jul 24, 2009

Found one in our front yard in Murphysboro Illinois last week. Freaked us out! 2nd time I had seen one in Murphysboro so they must live in Southern Illinois. We only have pine trees in the front though so I don't know what it was doing there.

Frankie and Brax Green

Jul 7, 2009

My mom and son just found one these scary creatures outside by our creek. Braxton is 4 and wouldn't rest until I found out what it was called. It was huge. Every bit of 6 inches. My mom has trees, a creek, and squash field behind her house so we were not sure about it's habitat. Thanks for the pictures. The appearance is scary and will forever be burned in our brains.

Ashleigh Hawkins

Jun 25, 2009

I live in southern missouri and when i was about 10 years old one of these monsters fell out of a hickory tree and latched onto my bottom lip. my lip swelled up like a poisoned pup, it was horrible. my husband has never beleived it until he saw this picture. we call them hickory monsters here.

Aaron free

Apr 11, 2009

deos ayone now where to buy them.................. becuse I keep them in a tent to let them change then I breed them

dakhari manney

Apr 8, 2009

the hickoy horned devil carterpiller of thr regal mouth

Levi Fogle

Feb 17, 2009

Yea, found one of these Caterpillars in my back yard in carrier mills Illinois many years ago, Scared the crap out of me...any ways i was always curios if it was even native to southern Illinois since everyone i showed it to has never seen or heard of it....

Margaret Knight

Dec 19, 2008

Im a junior in highschool and my cross country team and myself ran pass one of these horned devils setting up the course. it was huge it broke a twig in half it was so cool we have pictures and everything. it was in frick park PA

Barbara Simon

Sep 30, 2008

I was walking to my parents today and found a hicory horned devil, this was the first one this year. I found 2 last year and this is the only 3 we have ever seen in the past 45 years my parents have lived there. We live in western Pennsylvania and they are not native to this area. We have never seen the moth they become but wish I could. I took it to our local newspaper and they took about 18 pictures of it and are putting it in the newspaper with an article. It is definately amazing looking. I can't explain why I have found 3 of them in this climate. Thanks

michelle lewis

Sep 27, 2008

We found a hhd in our yard today and we were afraid that it was dangerous. Your website had the most comprehensive info and wonderful pictures of the hhd. Thank you.

Bill Oliver

Sep 26, 2008

My girlfriend, Cindy and I ran across one of these this past weekend while camping in the north Georgia mountains. She found it next to our fishing gear and thinking it was one of my lures she almost picked it up. We had never heard of one before. What a beautiful and amazing creature!!

MELISSA PIERCE

Sep 10, 2008

MY HUSBAND FOUND A HICKORY HORNED DEVIL IN THE WOODS BY OUR HOUSE. HE BROUGHT IT IN FOR OUR CHILDREN, AGES 6 AND 11. THEY WERE SO AMAZED BY THE COLORS, HORNS, AND OVERALL APPEARANCE OF THIS BEAUTIFUL CREATURE, THAT THEY BEGAN TO RESEARCH MORE INFORMATION. MY SON, THE 6 YEAR OLD TOOK IT TO SHOW HIS FIRST GRADE CLASS. THEY WERE FASCINATED.

COLBY SHORT

Sep 9, 2008

HI,

I'M COLBY SHORT. I'M TEN YEARS OLD AND I LIVE IN ATHENS, GA. (GO DAWGS!!!) MY MOM AND I FOUND THIS CUTE LITTLE DEVIL UNDER A PECAN TREE IN OUR FRONT YARD.THANKS TO YOUR WEB SITE WE WERE ABLE TO FIND OUT ALOT OF INFO ABOUT THE HICKORY HORNED DEVIL. I'M TAKING THIS LITTLE DEVIL TO SCHOOL TOMORROW THEN I PLAN TO RELEASE HIM UNDER THE PECAN TREE WHERE WE FOUND HIM!!! THANKS FOR YOUR HELP AND INFO.... :)

JoAnn Weaver

Sep 9, 2008

I happened across one of these this afternoon in my backyard under the walnut tree. It was such an odd color & shape, I thought it was a broken piece from a plastic toy. Then it moved! I moved the little devil (haha) to a safe place and have been searching for info. I'm glad to have found your web site.

Wayne Hintze

Sep 3, 2008

Spied one of these creatures in the middle of the road in Westminster, Md. My 6 yr old son says we're being invaded by aliens from Mars. My 8 yr old daughter says it doesn't need to dress up for Halloween. All I can say is, unbelievable!

Ms. Dennis

Aug 22, 2008

My son's day care class found this in the back yard. We live in KY. I've never been a fan of creatures with more than 4 legs, but I must admit I was amazed at this critter! Yesterday, the class let "Herbie" go so he could burrow into the ground. It was sorta cute in a bazzar way!

Chafin Sherry

Aug 6, 2008

My children and I found one of these in our front yard!!! Yikes!! the scariest thing I'd ever seen, I stared and stared at it... I thought we'd been invaded!!!

Mary Jordahl

Aug 6, 2008

We saw the Hickory Horned devil in Alton Il in the Pierre Marquette State Park. We were all so excited as groups of people gawked and stared at this amazing creature. We did not know what it was and are excited to find out.

Reid Family

Jul 31, 2008

Found a great specimen in our shrubbery across from a young hickory tree. Awesome to view and study then we released it back to the shrubs so it could burrow. The Reids

Mandy Fitzgerral

Jul 2, 2008

aaarrgghhh - we found one in our yard at work today. Somebody put it in a box and brought it in to show the office staff. I felt sure it had come in on a shipment from the far east or somewhere. It scared the bejeebers out of me. Glad to know that it was harmless and native to the US.

Fascinating but weird!

Betty Alford

Jul 1, 2008

This is the scariest thing I ever saw! If that fell on me out of a tree I would run screaming for days! But I cant stop LOOKING at it! Excellent captures

alex g

Jun 8, 2008

i found one of these about 2 years ago near my dog, it was hanging upside down from a branch and my dog kept barking at it, so i went out to see what it was, and it fell right in my hand! at first i thought it was deadly, due to the color scheme, but it was harmless!

Amy Sorensen

Sep 29, 2007

My kids and I had gone to the backyard to play in Kingwood, TX and we found this huge catapillar in the grass. There was alot of excitment. I had no idea what kind of catapillar it was. Simple amazing to see a Hickory Horned Devil. Wow!

Kim Entzminger

Sep 24, 2007

My two year old spotted this caterpillar in our backyard. He was understandably a little scared of it. We're in Western, SC. It's the first time I've ever seen one.

Cody Spivey

Sep 24, 2007

We found one traveling across our golf course fairway here in Magnolia,Tx, just north of houston.

It will definitely catch your eye.

CRAIG EDMUNDS

Sep 23, 2007

MY FAMILY AND I FOUND A HHD THAT FELL FROM AN OAK TREE TODAY IN SEWICKLEY, PA. IT WAS THE FIRST EXPERIENCE I HAVE HAD WITH THIS CREATURE. IT WAS QUITE FASCINATING TO OBSERVE. I AM NOW A FAN OF THE HHD.

Ryan Smith

Sep 19, 2007

My kids found a hickory horned devil in our front yard last year. I have videos of it at:



http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=17601581



We live in Hammond, Louisiana.



My Kym and Mark found it to be very interesting and a couple times a month we go "Hickory Horn Hunting" to no avail. Hope someone finds this useful.

Ida Faye Gibson

Sep 16, 2007

My grand children found a HHD at Lake Milwood in Howard County Arkansas. They are in ahh at it and I am too as it said they come from the Eastern United States.

Haley Gilbert

Sep 13, 2007

Early today, students at Seton Hill found a Hickory Horned Devil crawling along on the grounds! It was a really cool sight and attracted a lot of people!



Thanks for the info, it was really useful and neat to find out what the strange critter was.

Miranda Zimmerman

Sep 10, 2007

Today I was bathing my two dogs in Pittsburgh PA, and after we I was done I had to tie my dogs up to let them dry so I had chosen to tie the one up by the walnut tree and as a reached down to tie the rope around the tree there was the Hicory Horned Devil Catipiller it was amazing I have it in a bug box and I will be taking it to my school tommorow.

elise dauber

Aug 30, 2007

My friend Joe was walking through campus today and called me and said, 'hey you gotta come check out this caterpillar its huge.' not knowing what to expect I came out and saw one of these horned moth caterpillars and was shocked. it was the most amazing insect i have ever seen, and i will never forget that. we rushed to show our professor and he was estatic. oh the joys that mother nature brings!! i love it!

Kate Barretta

Aug 28, 2007

Hi, We found this amazing creature today in our front yard, everyone we question was sure it was a new species of some kind. So the kids and their friends took it to the local vet and they found out exactly what it was, the funny thing is they actually had already named it horn devil, they came pretty close.

Renee L

Aug 22, 2007

My friend and I were driving down Old River Road in Duncan Falls Ohio, when I seen the big huge bug going across on the other side of the road. I turned around and picked it up for my daughters show and tell at school. We did a big green caterpillar search online to find out what it was, and to our surprise is was a Hickory Horned Devil. What an awesome experience it has been for our family, and for the class of second graders that will view this awesome creation of Gods handy work. I will return it to the woods where I found it, after show and tell.

Danielle Mangum

Aug 12, 2007

We Were walking the dogs at the dog park when we found this huge blue caterpillar. I was scared of it at first but my mom said just watch it and don't touch it because it had large spines that could be stingers. We watched it for a long time as it made its way accross the park. We could not wait to get home and try to find out what kind of moth or what kind of caterpillar it was. It was the Hicory Horned Devil we found out.

Lynn Sherman

Aug 3, 2007

8/3/07 I live in Coinjock, North Carolina. While in the next town over getting gas my daughter spotted a Regal Moth. We had never seen one before and did not know what it was. My daughter, who is an advid photographer, pulled out her camera and took a picture. I was able to learn about the Hickory Horned Devil and that it turns into a Regal Moth. A special experience for me and my daughter.

Kurtis Hough

Oct 2, 2006

Hello. I'm a computer animator working on a new animated short film about the Hickory Horned Devil/Regal Moth. In researching them I came across your website and found your great photographs. I'm wondering if you could send me the full resolution photographs you've take so I can use them to help texture my 3D model?



Hope you can help me out. Fill free to email me anytime.



Thanks,

Kurtis Hough

www.khstudios.com

Taryn Driver

Sep 26, 2006

one day my family and I were playing football outside when we noticed this strange creature because I almost stepped on it.We put it in a jar and looked it up on the internet. Thanks to your help we found out what it was.

Jan Hend

Sep 21, 2006

We found this "lovely" creature in the front yard - under the oak tree. Scary horns! Lovely green color. Thank you for all your information. Western Pennsylvania, Cranberry Township - 16066

jeri boyd

Sep 21, 2006

Last weekend, Sept 17 06, we were at Rock Bridge Trout Ranch in Southern MO. Wewere leaving and a Hickort Horned Devel fell from a sycamore tree and landed with a thud on the windsheild of out truck. I ahd never seen or heard of this creature. We stopped and showed it to the guys behind us as we were all facinated at this "thing". My husband rescued it and put it on a near by tree. Thanks for the photos and the information...I will pass it on.

farm vet

Sep 19, 2006

We found our first hickory horned devil today on a lovely stroll around the campus of New Bolton Center of U Penn vet school in Kennett Square, PA. We were delighted to encounter such a spectular beast!!!! We were tempted to pick it up and keep it for a while, however we were frightened by its horns!!!!

Deborah Ford

Sep 14, 2006

We found one of the Hickory Horned Devils while camping in Ohio. We have never seen one before. We took it to the camp office and they told us it was either a lunar moth or a mammoth moth. Thanks to your website we now know what it was. I guess we need to go back and let them know what it was. Thanks again

Graff Tom

Sep 12, 2006

My children found one of these while hiking in Western PA on 9/10/06. I've never seen anything like this!! Amazing! My daughter kept it alive in a box with grass and twigs and took it to school to show the class. She then released it back where she found it. Thanks for the great info.

Brittnee King

Sep 4, 2006

I found my hickory horned devil at clifty falls, Madison, Indiana and I still have it with me I had just got back yesterday and think that this a wonderful creature. Thank you for all your Information.

Debra Hendricks

Aug 30, 2006

I live in Chesapeake Va. and found a Hickory Horn Devil crawling across my mother-inlaws drive way and caught it to give to my nephew who loves things like this. Very interesting info on this. I did not know what it was either. We have let it go so it can become a beautiful Moth. Thank you so much for the info.

James Scovel

Aug 27, 2006

My grandaughter found one of these caterpillars in her back yard today. It was 5" in lenght. We didn't know what it was so we got on the net and found your website. It was exactly what we were looking for. Thanks!

TK Kasulke

Aug 7, 2006

Is it uncommon to find them in Chesapeake Beach Maryland ? I'm a surveyor and walked up on one last week . The first one I've ever seen .

vanessa Licea-Steele

Jul 19, 2006

hi,I am on your site to learn about the Regal Moth.I live in Hockessin Delaware and I came out to put out my recycling this morning 7/19/06 and noticed this huge and spectacular Moth on one of my columns and it was a Regal Moth.I donated it to The Ashland Nature Center and she laid eggs and they will be picking up tommorrow. I have had a nice experience. My name as you know is Vanessa also genus of Butterflies. Red Admiral, cosmopolitan Lady and the American Painted lady. Maybe the Moth knew it would be safe. Thanks for letting me share with you.