Fuzzy caterpillars on my milkweed?
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
August 22, 2011 4:25 pm
Hi! I let some volunteer milkweeds grow in my gardens this year in hopes they’d attract a monarch caterpillar or two.
Last night I was practicing my photography skills in my backyard and thought I might just check to see if I had any little monarch friends and found these fellas instead.
I was hoping you let me know what I’m raising in my yard. I surfed through your butterfly and moth caterpillar pics and didn’t see these.
Thanks!
Signature: Heidi
Milkweed Tiger Moth Caterpillar
Hi Heidi,
Monarchs are not the only insects with caterpillars that feed on milkweed. Several moths including the Milkweed Tiger Moth Caterpillar or Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar, Euchaetes egle, also feed on milkweed. You can see additional photos on this species on BugGuide.
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Which caterpillars are poisonous?
Many caterpillars including in the family Limacodidae, the Stinging Slug Caterpillars, the Asp and many Giant Silkmoth Caterpillars, like the Io Moth Caterpillar, are some poisonous North American species. Many websites have pages on poisonous caterpillars, including The Arc in Space.
I found one of these on my milkweed. I saw caterpillar droppings and was hoping to find a monarch caterpillar. Instead, I found this. I live in southeast Michigan. Is this a beneficial insect or a pest?