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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

Posted by bugman July 8th, 2005 at 12:00 am

Categories

Tussock Moth Caterpillars

unknown caterpillar
We found this 2 inch long caterpillar on our front steps yesterday. It is mostly grey with faint tan stripes and russet/orange spots where the very long hair tufts emerge. Picture 2218 is very out of focus but shows how the long hairs look like the fringes of a rug. I believe the caterpillar may be getting ready to molt or pupate as it has started to spin long spiderweb-like strands arond it’s enclosure. It might have fallen from the nearby linden tree (which just finished flowering) or come from some of the plants under the tree which include rudbeckia, hosta, creeping phlox, liatris, pansies, lavendar and purple coneflowers. We live in Southeastern Wisconsin.

This looks like the pestiferous Gypsy Moth, Porthetria dispar, to us.

Related Posts

  1. Butternut Wooly Worm and Gypsy Moth Caterpillar (July 28, 2008)
  2. Gypsy Moth Caterpillars and Pupa (July 8, 2008)
  3. Fritillary Caterpillar (June 4, 2008)
  4. Predatory Stink Bug eats Gypsy Moth Caterpillar (July 7, 2009)
  5. Imperial Moth Caterpillar (November 2, 2009)

Comments 1

  1. jefffarley wrote:

    Now our tree has gypsy moth caterpillers and slugs. The slugs, lots of them, are new after todays rain. Any connection that they all are all over the tree trunk? (Red Maple)

    Posted 18 Jun 2009 at 3:21 pm

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