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| White-marked tussock moth caterpillar. J. Schaeffer |
In a world of unusual caterpillars, this one wins the prize for most creative. A red head, long black frills, thin black hairs, white tufts, yellow and black stripes and red dots--as creative as a preschooler with a new box of crayons. Believe it or not, this colorful caterpillar will turn into the small (1"), rather drab, brown/gray, white-marked tussock moth.
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| White-marked tussock moth. |
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This caterpillar eats the leaves of a variety of woody plants including sycamore, cherry, elm, maple. Always be careful handling caterpillars with hairs--this one may cause allergic reactions if the hairs come in contact with sensitive skin. The female moth has no wings and is, of course, flightless. She lays her eggs, which overwinter, in a frothy mass around the cocoon from which she emerged
A congenial group of moms and kids, enjoying an educational day at the park instead of at school with no power, found this one under the giant sycamore. Thanks to Laura, Max, Claire, Emily, Sean, Ellie, and Brayden for sharing their find as well as their enthusiasm.
