"Porcupine" Catepillar...What Species?

[Paul F Austin]

Hi,
I've got one of these right now that I picked up at my local native plant
nursery about three weeks ago. Its been feasting on my violet leaves and
coral honeysuckle to the point where I had to buy two more pots of
violets! Eats constantly. It shed its skin when I first got it but not
since then. I'm trying to keep it as well-fed as I can, twice a day with
fresh leaves. I don't know whether they hibernate here either, in coastal
central Florida; its 80 degrees here during the day. I'm beginning to
wonder when pupation will occur. Meanwhile I'm doing my best to keep it
fat and happy. I looked in Peterson's Caterpillar Guide also & think its a
Leopard Moth. It eats what the book says one would at any rate.

Martha Steuart
Brevard County, FL
paustin at digital.net