Monkey Slug

Leaf-type bug
Location:  Napanee, Ontario
September 18, 2010 10:09 pm
Found this on a maple tree outside our house. We live in Eastern Ontario.
Signature:  Curious about this bug

Monkey Slug

Dear Curious,
This is a Monkey Slug Caterpillar,
Phobetron pithecium, and in its adult form it is known as a Hag Moth.  BugGuide has this interesting description:  “Caterpillar is most frequently seen. Bizarre, brown, hairy creature that resembles some sort of aquatic creature more than a caterpillar. Three pairs of long arms and three pairs of short arms, which are ‘deciduous’ – often one or more is missing.”  Exercise caution when handling the Monkey Slug as it is one of the Stinging Caterpillars in the family Limacodidae.

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