Categories
UncategorizedTags
food chainslug?
My daughter found this creature crawling on a rotting stick in the woods in Southwest Missouri. We initially thought it was a caterpillar, but see that it moves like a slug or snail. It also appears to have antennae at the front like a slug, but similar protrusions all along its body. Are the white things on its back eggs, or perhaps parasites? It is approximately 3/4 inch long.
This is one of the Slug Caterpillars in the family Limacodidae. We believe it is a Spiny Oak Slug, Euclea delphinii. The “eggs” are really Brachonid Pupa, a parasite that feeds on the caterpillar’s inner tissues.
Related Posts
- Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar (September 7, 2007)
- Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar (February 25, 2008)
- Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar submitted by the Bug Lady (January 23, 2007)
- Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar (July 23, 2007)
- Stinging Slug Caterpillar (November 23, 2008)
Post a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.