dainty snowflake worm
August 30, 2009
dear bugman,
what is this? it was on my porch.
bug whisperer
Middle Tennessee
Beutenmueller's Slug Moth Caterpillar
Dear bug whisperer,
BugGuide lists Beutenmueller’s Slug Moth Caterpillar, Isochaetes beutenmuelleri, as uncommon. It is also known as the Spun Glass Slug Moth and caterpillars feed on swamp oak leaves. Many of the caterpillars in the Slug Moth Family Limacodidae are capable of stinging, but we are unsure is this species has the stinging spines. Your photo indicates that it probably does.
¶ Posted 31 August 2009 § ‡ ° Neon Green Caterpillar Fri, May 8, 2009 at 5:35 PM
Hi
I found this caterpillar under a leaf in a forested area near my home. I’ve never seen a neon coloured caterpillar like this before. Could this be a stinging slug caterpillar? I’m pondering as I live in Singapore, and so far all the documentation I’ve read about stinging slugs don’t come from this area of the world. Thanks!
Jeremiah
Singapore
Stinging Slug Caterpillar
Hi Jeremiah,
This is certainly a Stinging Slug Caterpillar in the family Limacodidae . While we are not certain of the species identification, perhaps one of our readers will write in with an answer.
¶ Posted 10 May 2009 § ‡ ° Peruvian amazon stinging slug caterpillar?
Mon, Feb 2, 2009 at 10:23 PM
I saw this bug in late July, 2008 in Puerto Maldonado, Peru. I’d be interested to know what you think.
JC
Puerto Maldonado, Peru
Stinging Slug Caterpillar
Hi JC,
What we think is that you are correct. This is a Stinging Slug Caterpillar in the family Limacodidae. We also think it is a gorgeous specimen and that it resembles the Saddleback Caterpillar, Acharia stimulea, from North America, and we believe it may be in the same genus. We will try to do additional research at a later date.
2
Bright Red Crab-like Bug
Mon, Jan 19, 2009 at 2:21 PM
My brother found this on a house plant. He lives in Brazil. Have any idea what this is and if it’s poisonous?
Clayton Robinson
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Slug Caterpillar
Hi Clayton,
While we cannot tell you the species, we suspect this is a Slug Caterpillar in the family Limacodidae. Your specimen closely resembles the Monkey Slug or Hag Moth Caterpillar which can be viewed on BugGuide. Slug Caterpillars have stinging spines and the sting can be quite painful and stays irritated for several days.
Update:
Daniel:
I think this slug caterpillar may have been posted before (Brazilian Monkey Slug Caterpillar – December 18th, 2007). In a follow-up note, the poster (Luiz) commented that the local name was “Lagarta-Aranha” which translated roughly to “Spider Caterpillar”. That name seems to be applied to a variety of Limacodidae caterpillars in Brazil, but most commonly to Phobetron hipparchia, an extremely variable species that ranges widely throughout the tropical Americas. That’s the same genus as the North American Monkey Slug Caterpillar (P. pithecium)and they do look very similar. Regards.
Karl
¶ Posted 19 January 2009 § ‡ ° I have no leads
Mon, Dec 29, 2008 at 8:30 AM
While working at an Outdoor Ed center, my co-teacher and I discovered this awesome creature and kept him in hopes of finding someone on staff to identify it. We found him in the woods on a particularly balmy day. His underside was nearly translucent and had some sort of fuzz around his perimeter, which was highlighted by bright orange spots, which were also along his back. we named him sid.
Lauren
the woods of Maryland’s Eastern Shore
Slug Caterpillar
Hi Lauren,
This is a Slug Moth Caterpillar in the family Limacodidae, probably Isa textula. Many Slug Moth Caterpillars have stinging spines and they should be handled with caution.
¶ Posted 30 December 2008 § ‡ ° mystery Autumn caterpillar
Sat, Nov 22, 2008 at 5:57 AM
My children found this guy on their treehouse in October. We have scoured the internet and our caterpillar field guide for his identity. I suspect this is a moth larva.
J, M, and S
Baton Rouge, LA
Stinging Slug Caterpillar
Dear J,M, and S,
We are happy to hear the children did not suffer a painful sting after handling this Stinging Slug Caterpillar. Your specimen is in the genus Euclea. We found a matching image on BugGuide, but it is not identified to the species level. The Spiny Oak Slug Moth, Euclea delphinii, is the only species identified in the genus, so your specimen is either a closely related species, or a color variation on the Spiny Oak Slug Moth.
¶ Posted 23 November 2008 § ‡ ° Wierd Green Slug/Bug/Caterpillar
Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 8:58 AM
Hi, my son and I recently found this(bug) on the ground outside our house. I tried to look it up online, but found nothing. It is very small and strange looking. It sticks to your finger on the bottom it looks like small hairs almost velco like. When touched it seems to shrink up a very small amount you have to watch it VERY close or it doesn’t even look like it is moving. We call it our alien bug. We brought it inside and put it into our plant container, about 6 hours later it was gone, or so we thought until we found a small brown ball in the corner. When I poked it, it opened up and the bug was inside. I took pictures of it and by morning it was in a ball again. What is this? I am so curious. What is it going to turn into when it emerges?
Renee
Macomb, Michigan
Slug Moth Caterpillar
Hi Renee,
Your caterpillar is one of the Stinging Slug Moth Caterpillars, Isa textula. The adult moth is brown and relatively nondescript. You can see images of both the caterpillar and adult moth on BugGuide.
¶ Posted 15 October 2008 § ‡ ° Catapillar
This creature could be found in Japan pretty much on anything from peach tree to persimmon, even sometimes cherry bloosoms in groups…. and very very poisoness in case the appearance didn’t suggest it(if you touch it, you feel like you have been burned with branding iron). I’d like to know the english name for the beast and what does he turns into??
Kouta Shimazaki
Japan
Stinging Slug Caterpillar from Japan
Hi Kouta,
We haven’t the time to get you an exact species name right now, but we can provide you with some information. Your caterpillar bears a striking resemblance to a North American species known as the Saddleback Caterpillar which is depicted on BugGuide. Saddleback Caterpillars are in the family Limacodidae, the Slug Caterpillar Moths. Many Slug Caterpillars have stinging spines. Perhaps someone will write in with a comment and correctly identify your exact species. It may not have an English name, but if you don’t mind a more general group name, Slug Caterpillar should suffice. Slug Caterpillar Moths are generally brown with subtle markings. You can also see photos of adult moths from North America on BugGuide.
¶ Posted 28 September 2008 § ‡ ° 
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