In the middle of last December, halfway between that sudden cold snap and the first (maybe only) snowfall of the winter, I brought in a few dead, frozen maple leaves to see what had survived the freezing weather. This little caterpillar turned up on one, as energetic as if he had been soaking up the sun and eating green leaves instead of the half-rotted variety available at the time.
 |
| Larva of a yellow underwing moth, Noctua pronoba |
 |
| Face view. Laurie says he looks threatening. He's not, unless you're a leaf. |
 |
| Back view. |
And there was a bonus: a springtail on chilly moss.
 |
| Orchesella cincta, possibly. Doesn't mind the cold, either. |
