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Alien bug
alien looking bug my wife and kids found while gathering walnuts off the ground. cant ID it on your bug site. thank you very educating site,
Jim.
Hi Jim,
This amazing insect is a Slug Moth Caterpillar, Isa textula. Handle with care since it has stinging spines.
Stinging Rose Caterpillar?
Found this little guy just below an oak tree. It resembles the Stinging Rose, but the yellow color makes me believe that it can vary in color…maybe one of a few instars? Thanks,
Jose Covas
Hi There Jose,
The Stinging Rose Caterpillar can vary in color considerably, from greenish yellow to bright orange red. According to BugGuide, in addition to rose leaves, the caterpillar also feeds on the foilage of: “apple, cottonwood, dogwood, hickory, oak, redbud, sycamore.”
Bugs
I found this bug on the leaf of my Red Maple tree, had never before seen this bug can you tell what it is, what it turns into, is it common in Ontario, Canada. Thank you
Kevin Axt
Hi Kevin,
This is a Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar in the genus Euclea. It ranges through much of the Eastern U.S. and Canada.
Obscure green “boat” bug with suction cup “feet”
LOOOVE the site. Have hatched 2 sets of praying mantis, hatched a female Polyphemus moth who attracted TWELVE(1) males and, also hatched a male Cecropia moth earlier in the summer. Just had a 4″ female mantis attract a male and mate; waiting to see when she’ll lay her egg sack…At any rate, I’ve been a critter gal since my youth and am familiar with many of your typical insects. The attached, though, has me completely perplexed and befuddled. What the heck is it??? It was so neat – slightly less than an inch, bright green, shaped somewhat like a boat, and appeared to have a suction-cup type underside (traveled around on my daughter’s index finger for hours). Sort of an armadillo-type of insect in that it had a hard shell on the outside with a softer section underneath..
Kristin
Hi Kristin,
This is a Slug Moth Caterpillar in the family Limacodidae, but we cannot be certain of the genus or species.
fern green-yellow-red larvae?
Hi Bugman,
My son found this on a rock next to our house in rural southwestern New Hampshire. The rock has some lichen or moss growing on it, and our yard is quite mossy. It may have fallen off a hardwood tree (maple or alder?) that I had recently shaken. Based on what I could find on your site and others it looks related to lacewing, sawfly or other wasp larvae – but I couldn’t find anything with the frond like antennae or the round green leaf like plates along it’s body. Thanks for your help!
In addition to oak, the Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar, Euclea delphinii feeds “on leaves of apple, basswood, cherry, chestnut, maple, oak, redbud, sycamore, willow, and other broad-leaved woody plants” according to BugGuide.
caterpillar that stings
I found this bug on my blueberry bushes and it stung me. I thought it was stinging nettles but on closer look found this bug. What’s that bug?
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
This is a Saddleback Caterpillar and yes, it does sting.
Dear bugman,
We found four of these bugs in Southern New Jersey on August 13 on a Burning Bush (it was not actually on fire, thats the name of the bush)! Whats that bug? Please reply if it is not too much trouble!
Josh Gager & Lindsey Williams
Hi Josh and Lindsey
These are Saddleback Caterpillars, Sibine stimulea. Handle with care since those are stinging spines that will cause local irritation, but no lasting effects.
caterpillar
Hello, Let me start by saying I love your website. I often pull it up and browse through all the new bugs posted. I found a caterpillar in Belize on a jungle hike. It was in the beginning of July and the little guy, about an inch long, was on the ground. I hope you can identify this caterpillar and tell me what it will turn into. … Thanks-
Amber
SLC, UT
Hi Amber,
Though we don’t know the exact species of your caterpillar, we can tell you it is a Stinging Caterpillar in the family Limacodidae, the Slug Caterpillar Moths.
What kind of caterpiller am I looking at here?
Hey Bugman,
I found this little fellow munching away on a Cottonwood leaf in my front yard in Indiana. I picked him up because he was very pretty… What is he? What will he be? How can I take care of him? Thanks,
Mo
Hi Mo,
This is a Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar, Euclea delphinii. Despite its common name, according to BugGuide the: “larvae feed on leaves of apple, basswood, cherry, chestnut, maple, oak, redbud, sycamore, willow, and other broad-leaved woody plants”. Following our BugGuide link will show you photos of the adult as well as other color variations of the caterpillar. Caterpillars don’t require much more care than a constant supply of leaves from the food plant. You should exercise caution as this is a stinging caterpillar and you can read more about it on the Auburn University website.
Whats this bug
Hi WTB,
I found this bug at our house in a tree. It stung my dad. Can you please tell us what it is? Thanks
Nicholas and emma!!
Regards,
Mark Berryman
Hi Nicholas, Emma and Mark,
This is a Saddleback Caterpillar. Information can commonly be found on websites that are devoted to stinging caterpillars. The markings are quite different from Sibine stimulea, a common species, but we believe it is the same genus. The newest information indicates that the genus has been reclassified as Acharia. In the event that this genus is incorrect, this is a Stinging Slug Moth Caterpillar in the family Limacodidae. You did not provide a location, so we don’t know where this was found.
Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar
First of all I would like to say how much I enjoy your site. I’ve been interested in entomology for about 40 years, much to my Mom’s dismay during those early years. LOL I do a lot of nature photography and spend lots of time taking pictures of insects and spiders. I have been trying to ID a caterpillar that I have narrowed down to the Hesitant Dagger Moth. I used the Caterpillars of Eastern Forests to get this ID, but they also mentioned that there are several Dagger Moths that have similar looking caterpillars. At any rate, I just ordered Caterpillars of Eastern North America by Wagner. I’ve been wanting a good book to ID caterpillars anyways. If I still don’t get a positive ID from that, I just may be sending you a picture of this caterpillar. In looking through all the caterpillars you have, I thought maybe I could send you a photo from time to time of things you don’t have pictures of. The photo I’m sending you today is the Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar. Definitely one of the coolest caterpillars I’ve found, and be careful if you find one of these they do have stinging spines. Feel free to use this photo on your site. I belong to several photography groups on the internet and when someone posts a picture of an insect or spider, they usually come to me to help them find out what it is. Some of them even call me the bug lady. LOL Wonderful site you have here, keep up the good work!
Judy Whitton aka the “bug lady”
Hi Judy,
Thank you so much for filling a hole in our archives with your photo of the Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar, Euclea delphinii. We are much obliged. We also eagerly await any other deficiencies you choose to fill. Thanks again and have a wonderful day. Though you did not provide us with a location, we are guessing you are in Florida or some other southern state.
Hi Daniel, you are very welcome. I wish I could say I’m from Florida or one of the other southern states, but I’m from Northeast Indiana in Fort Wayne. We have a wonderful nature preserve here in town called Lindenwood Nature Preserve, 110 acres, that I do most of my bug shooting at. That is where I took that picture. I also go to a few state parks and nature preserves close by. I’ve also been fortunate to find the Saddleback Caterpillar and the Skiff Moth Caterpillar, but I noticed you already had plenty of those. I’m keeping my eye open for some of the other slug caterpillars that are in my area.
Judy Whitton, the Bug Lady
unknown caterpillar
Please help me. I came across this little caterpillar in Cuernavaca, Mexico this past September. it was on the hood of a car, as you can see in the photo. Can you please tell me what kind of bud it is? Thank you!
Deborah
Hi Deborah,
This is a Saddleback Caterpiller. It is a stinging species that is found in much of the U.S. as well.
