Cecropia, 5th instar, Miner

For the record, I didn't spot this almost four-inch-long caterpillar during the Miner preserve walk I led this afternoon. Given its primary green color and my red-green colorblind eyes, the critter was, for me, just about invisible as it calmly munched its way through the Multiflora Rose foliage. Thank God I had non-color-challenged colleagues with me to better survey the scene, for one of them, a long-time reader of my work, nearly fell over in amazement when she noticed this oversized larva with its psychedelic, spike-tipped knobs. Since it lacked the rear horns of the Sphinx Moth caterpillars, which are often large, I guessed that it had to be a youngster in the Giant Silk Moth group, and when I got to my car, where I'd presciently stashed my copy of Dave Wagner's Caterpillars of Eastern North America, I obtained an ID. It's an adolescent Cecropia Moth, probably the 5th and last instar and just about ready to enter the pupal stage for the winter. This was definitely the find of the day.