stinging slug caterpillar
Location: Potholes, South Africa
December 6, 2011 5:24 am
Hello,
I am form the Netherlands and i was in 2005 in South Africa for an internship. I was at blyde river canyon (potholes)when i saw this specie. I am searching for 6 years now to find out which specie this is. I hope you can help me out?
Greetings,
Hennie
Stinging Slug Caterpillar
Dear Hennie,
We agree that this is most likely a Stinging Slug Caterpillar, however, some members of the Saturniidae family also have stinging spines. We will post your photo and we hope our readership might be able to assist in the identification.
Karl provides a possible genus identification
December 6, 2011
Hi Daniel and Hennie:
Excluding the more common and serious pest species, tropical limacodids are always difficult to identify because of the large number of species and a general lack of online information. South Africa, for instance, has at least 117 species for most of which there is very little information to be found. However, I believe this one belongs to the genus Latoia, which includes at least a dozen South African species. Latoia vivida appears to be a very close match and I believe this is probably the correct species, but I cannot be certain. Here is a link to another photo. Coffee is apparently the preferred larval host plant and the species is considered a serious pest on that crop in central and southern Africa. By the way, I think this may be the same species that was posted on WTB by Adrian back in January, 2008. Regards. Karl
¶ Posted 06 December 2011 § ‡ ° Weird caterpillar
Location: Midwest City, OK
October 15, 2011 1:27 pm
What the heck is this??
Signature: Elizabeth
Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar
Hi Elizabeth,
This caterpillar is in the genus Euclea. We found a matching photo on BugGuide, and we believe there is a good chance it is the Spiny Oak Slug, Euclea delphinii, a species with a highly variable caterpillar. Exercise caution when handling the Spiny Oak Slug as well as other members of the family Limacodidae, as many species have stinging spines.
1
¶ Posted 16 October 2011 § ‡ ° Maybe a caterpillar?
Location: Tallahassee, fl in the fall
October 13, 2011 12:03 pm
This bug has been crawling on my car for about 3 days. I tried to put it on a leaf and it got all puffed up and wouldn’t come off.
Signature: Jessica
Crowned Slug
Hi Jessica,
You are correct that this is a caterpillar. More specifically, it is a Crowned Slug, Isa textula, one of the stinging Slug Caterpillars in the family Limacodidae.
1
¶ Posted 14 October 2011 § ‡ ° What’s Yellow and Furry and Just Plain Strange?
Location: Central America (Belize or Guatemala)
October 13, 2011 1:47 pm
My daughter and I saw this in Belize or Guatemala (can’t remember what part of the trip) and are stumped. Totally and completely.
Signature: Shoshana
Monkey Slug from Belize
Hi Shoshana,
This caterpillar looks so much like the stinging Monkey Slug from North America, Phobetron pithecium (see BugGuide), that we believe it is either the same species, a subspecies, or a closely related species in the same genus.
1
¶ Posted 14 October 2011 § ‡ ° Beautiful Caterpillar
Location: North Carolina
September 3, 2011 11:03 am
I found this beautiful white caterpillar last night while looking for Monkey Slug Caterpillars. I looked around on the internet ,with no luck. I hope you can help our family ID. Thanks for the help with the Spun Glass caterpillar. My two sons liked seeing our photo on your great site.
Signature: Rick Thompson
Slug Moth Caterpillar
Hi Rick,
Other than to say that we are nearly certain that is is another Slug Moth Caterpillar in the family Limacodidae, we cannot provide anything definitive, but we have a wild theory. If you had only provide the front view, we would have most likely stated that this was another Spun Glass Caterpillar because the similarity is so striking, however, the lateral view is quite different. Our wild theory is based on another letter that was submitted and the theory that was developed: “Speculation over there is that, like you said, it’s not a spun glass slug caterpillar, but it may be just part of one. Maybe a bird got one and shook it at the tentacle floated down and still had some reflex action that made it appear alive.” Your lateral view appears to be a naked Spun Glass Caterpillar that has lost its appendages. Many Caterpillars change appearance just prior to pupation. Some change colors and others lose hairs. Our new theory is that perhaps this is a Spun Glass Caterpillar, Isochaetes beutenmuelleri, and that it is getting ready to metamorphose. The appendages might have begun falling off the caterpillar. That certainly lends credibility that the mystery object in that other letter was a shed Spun Glass Caterpillar tentacle or appendage. We welcome our readerships comments on this theory.
Perhaps a molting Spun Glass Caterpillar
1
¶ Posted 03 September 2011 § ‡ ° Tagged: mysteries Aqua/Black Caterpillar
Location: Walhalla, MI
August 25, 2011 11:40 am
I can’t seem to find this little guy on-line anywhere. He is about an inch long and was close to a tree with moss similar in color.
We were camping in Walhalla, MI. That is close to Ludington, MI. It was the 19th of August 2011. Any leads would be fantastic!
Signature: Edelynn
Stinging Slug Caterpillar
Hi Edelynn,
According to BugGuide, this is a Stinging Slug Caterpillar in the genus Euclea, and it might be a Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar, Euclea delphinii, a species reported to be quite variable. Caterpillars in the family Limacodidae often have stinging spines and they should be handled with caution.
1
¶ Posted 26 August 2011 § ‡ ° What is this?
Location: Kentucky
August 22, 2011 6:11 am
This floated down to a picnic area, seems to have 4 legs, it turned it’s head so we know it was alive. Not sure if is bug or vertabrate creature. An adelgid maybe? But only appers to have 4 legs.
Signature: Curious in Maine
What's That Thing?
Dear Curious in Maine,
We are curious what you were doing in Kentucky. We are not sure what this is, but we feel greatly confident that this is not an insect, nor do we believe it is an animal. It is most definitely NOT a Spun Glass Caterpillar.
My friend and her family were picnic-ing in a park. This creature floated down and she got it on her finger. It was definitely alive because it turned it’s head. I will ask if she got any other photos of it.
THANKS
Update: September 2, 2011
We have a new theory based in part on the comment we received: “Speculation over there is that, like you said, it’s not a spun glass slug caterpillar, but it may be just part of one. Maybe a bird got one and shook it at the tentacle floated down and still had some reflex action that made it appear alive.” A new letter we just received that appears to be a Spun Glass Caterpillar that is losing its appendages or tentacles has made the comment we received seem correct. We would amend the theory to allow for the possibility that Spun Glass Caterpillars might shed their tentacles just prior to pupation.
6
Beautiful Caterpillar
Location: North Carolina, USA
August 21, 2011 1:44 am
My two sons and I found this beautiful caterpillar last night. We like to find and photograph strange insects at night. I have tried to identify it with no luck. We hope you can help. We would love to see it on your great site. Thanks for any help you can offer.
Signature: Rick Thompson
Spun Glass Slug Moth Caterpillar
Hi Rick,
The Spun Glass Slug Moth Caterpillar, Isochaetes beutenmuelleri, also known by the ponderous common name Beutenmueller’s Slug Moth, is listed on BugGuide as being “uncommon” and it is also indicated that it feeds on “swamp oak.” Many Caterpillars in the Slug Moth family Limacodidae have stinging hairs and spines and they should be handled with extreme caution.
8
¶ Posted 21 August 2011 § ‡ ° 
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