The spiny oak slug caterpillar is a colorful larva with jagged spikes around its body and four pairs of upward-pointing spiked orange horns. The parasitoid cocoons are cloaked by the silk covering (spun by the wasp larvae) beneath the parasitized caterpillar (Inset: parasitoid cocoons from under silk covering - wasps have already emerged). Completed cocoon of fir tussock moth (Orgyia detrita). Don't swallow or chew on the beans. Giant silkworm moth larvae and flannel moth caterpillars are specifically noted for their ability to cause a painful sting. The genus name Orgyia (Greek for the length of the outstretched arms [Borror 1960]), is based on this pose. The identifiable features of the black swallowtail are its green body with black, yellow-dotted bands around each of its segments. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 72(3): 347-357. Names from Arnaud (1978) have been updated by OHara and Wood (2004) and OHara (2012). The stinging spiny oak slug caterpillar has two orange bands along its back and circular green and white patterns. Puss caterpillars are 2.5 cm long and covered with gray to brown hairs that conceal its head and mouthparts. The black caterpillar has recognizable red bands visible in between sharp spines. Some are more poisonous than others. If you suspect your cat has been bitten by a poisonous spider, get to the veterinarian right away. Cabbage looper caterpillars have a voracious appetite and can devour three times their body weight in a day. Intense throbbing pain develops within five minutes of contact with pain extending up the affected arm. Identify a tobacco hornworm by its fat green body with whitish diagonal stripes and tiny eye-like markings on its sides. Saddleback caterpillars get their name from their saddle-like markinga square green patch with a large brown circle in the middle. The American dagger moth caterpillar is covered in yellow feathery spines with two pairs of long black spines on its back and a single black tuft of pencil-like hairs at its rear. Florida Journal of Environmental Health 195: 14-17. The caterpillar grows up to 2 (5 cm) long. The subfamily of Hemileucinae among Saturniidae, consisting of roughly 630 species and unique to the continents of North and South America, characteristically contains larvae bearing toxic spines. 2004. Classey, Ltd. London. 17 Poisonous Caterpillars to Watch Out For. A few species are known to sting, which can cause mild skin irritations, but none contain venom that may be harmful to people. There are butterflies who also take nectar or, in rare cases, pollen from poisonous plants. Milkweed tiger caterpillars grow 1.4 (3.5 cm) long. 110 pp. The flightless females remain on their cocoons and release a sex pheromone to attract males. Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company. Some less common ones also occur in the state. Note purple tint on wings and white tornal spot. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. It may be only an inch long, but you should still be sure to stay away from puss caterpillars in Florida. Photograph by Donald W. Hall, University of Florida. For photographs of pinned and spread specimens of males of the Lymantriinae, see Ferguson (1978). Diagram of urticating seta and associated venom gland of whitemarked tussock moth (Orgyia leucostigma). Princeton, New Jersey. Figure 6. Other features of the redhumped moth caterpillar are its cherry-red round head, soft horn-like growths, and light, feathery spines. Look for them in groups near the base of plants. Mature bagworms can grow up to 1 (2.5 cm) long. The oleander caterpillar, Syntomeida epilais Walker, a bright orange caterpillar with tufts of long black hairs, is a common sight on oleanders in Florida and southern Georgia according to the UF/IFAS. Preliminary studies of the nuclear-polyhedrosis viruses infecting the white-marked tussock moth, Tussock moth caterpillars in north central Florida, Catalog of Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico, A classification of the Lepidoptera based on characters of the pupae, Update of Tachinid Names in Arnaud (1978), entry at North American Moth Photographers Group. The caterpillar has a flattened hairy body with nine pairs of strange-looking projections from its sides. Contact with the cocoons produces the same symptoms. Orgyia sp. White-Marked Tussock Caterpillar (Orgyia leucostigma). Castellanos I, Barbosa P, Caldas A. The queen butterfly caterpillar is a black and white striped caterpillar with yellow dots on its back and sides. Hag caterpillars, or monkey slugs, come in shades of brown; they have stinging hairs in pairs of lateral curved spines that vary in length. Saddleback Caterpillar, University of Florida; Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar, Penn State Extension; Io Moth, University of Florida . Adult Indian meal moths are about 8-10 mm in length and have a wingspan of 16-20 mm. Second instar fir tussock moth larva (Orgyia detrita). Although tersa sphinx moths sometimes wander as far north as Canada, they mainly live in the tropics and in the southeastern states, from Texas to Florida and into North and South Carolina. Caterpillars and Moths. It's known as the white marked tussock moth. WATCH: Grumpy's Field Guide To Dangerous Spiders. Tobacco hornworm caterpillars look like tomato hornworms. 1922. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 34(1): 67-79. The zebra longwing gets its poison from the pollen it . Actually, they are brachypterous (short-winged) but cannot fly. . Megalopyge opercularis is a moth of the family Megalopygidae. Health and safety-wise, moths pose no harm or threat to humans - they are neither poisonous nor dangerous. Photograph by Donald W. Hall, University of Florida. Tussock moths in the genus Orgyia are small moths that are best-known because of their attractive larvae. The luna moth caterpillar grows to 3.5 (9 cm) in length. Figure 27. Hairy forest tent caterpillars mature at 2.5 (6.5 cm) long. Despite their soft appearance, the insect's hairs pack a painful punch. Though the adult moths do not sting, if they are seen in an area, it is safe and best to assume that the more dangerous larvae are nearby or will soon be born. Figure 18. Rather, a black widow bite can cause muscle aches, nausea, and difficulty breathing. A few common hosts include oak, cherry, hackberry, and willow. The brown and white caterpillar grows up to 1.6 (4 cm) long. Forester moth caterpillars grow up to 4.7 ( 12.5 cm) in their final instar. Also called the bean leafroller, an identifying feature of the green caterpillar is its black or burgundy globular head and orange patterns at its tail. They eat things that make them poisonous to their predators (such as birds, who can tolerate more poison than other animals). The beautiful caterpillar has colorful bands wrapping around each segment. In Florida, youll find this small, slender black and orange caterpillar munching through Passiflora plant foliage. Tussocks of the fir tussock moth (Orgyia detrita). Resident Joel Mathis told Orlando TV. The caterpillars white-spotted black body is covered in jagged tufts of spines. Caterpillars hatch from eggs and develop into worm-like crawling insects with four sets of prolegs, six forelegs, and a segmented body. The identifying feature of this tussock caterpillar is tufts of spiny hairs covering its body. Body main color | Body main pattern | Distinct features | Hair density: Check boxes for all that apply. Its instantly recognizable feature is the large eye markings on its head. (Inset: photomicrograph of antrose [distally projecting] barbs on urticating setae of the tussocks). Photograph by Lyle Buss, University of Florida. As the plump caterpillars devour plant leaves, they go through various stages called instars. 632-633) listed the following tachinid parasitoids of Orgyia leucostigma: Bessa selecta (Meigen), Carcelia amplexa (Coquillet), Carcelia perplexa Sellers, Carcelia yalensis Sellers, Compsilura concinnata (Meigen), Drino inconspicua (Meigen)*, Euphorocera claripennis (Macquart), Euphorocera edwardsii (Williston), Exorista lobelia Coquillet (currently Nilea lobelia [Coquillet]), Exorista mella Walker, Leshenaultia spp., Lespesia aletiae (Riley), Lespesia frenchii (Williston), Patella leucaniae (Coquillet), Phorocera spp., Sisyropa spp., Winthemia datanae (Townsend), and Winthemia quadripustulata (Fabricius). An imperial moth caterpillar can be tricky to identify because it can be orange with spiny hairs, green with orange horns, or brown with yellow dots and clumps of spines. 2003. EPI-NOTES Disease Surveillance Newsletter. On top of their irritating hairs, many stinging caterpillars also release a toxin on contact with the spines, which can add to the pain and may even be a health concern for some people. it has a 2.8 to 3.9-inch wingspan and is the state butterfly of Florida. To identify the luna moth caterpillar, look for its brown head, lines of bright red dots running along its light green body, four pairs of large prolegs, and three pairs of brown forelegs. Besides the annoying presence of numerous hairy caterpillars, many larvae spin their difficult-to-remove cocoons on outdoor furniture, stored boats, and the walls and soffits of our houses. These caterpillars feed on a large variety of plants but are most commonly found on citrus, oaks, and elms. The caterpillar of the Douglas-Fir Tussock Moth (Orgyia pseudotsugata) feeds on firs, spruce, Douglas-firs, and other evergreens of the western United States and are a major cause of their defoliation. Hossler EW. The pipevine swallowtail caterpillar is a dark-brown, almost black caterpillar with fleshy horns at its head, tail, and sides. Another feature of the tobacco hornworm caterpillar is its rear horn, which is brown, green, or orange. Looking up close, you see that soft yellowish spines cover the prolegs and caterpillar abdomen. It is also called the hairy caterpillar. One of the scariest-looking caterpillars in Florida is the hickory horned devil caterpillar. Caterpillars reach maturity and wander in search of sites to spin their cocoons in early April in Florida. Bagworms are unusual types of shiny black or dark brown caterpillars that are difficult to spot. These caterpillars have two to four clusters of spines protruding from the rear of its body. The green horned tobacco hornworm caterpillar is a plump larva with a light green body, eyespot markings, and white diagonal stripes along its sides. Definite tussock moth (Orgyia definita) caterpillar (abdomen). (There are two other species of Orgyia moths in Florida, which look similar to O. leucostigma with the marshmallow looking tufts along the dorsal side.) Spines cause sudden stinging redness and swelling in the affected area. In 2017, a Florida woman's 5-year-old son accidentally stepped on one as he played outside. If control measures are required, chemical insecticide or Bacillus thuringiensis applications recommended for control of other caterpillars should be effective. Photograph by Lyle J. Buss, University of Florida. Medical attention may be necessary for more severe reactions. A southern flannel caterpillar has a brown furry appearance with a broad rounded head that tapers to the tail end. There are two puss caterpillar generations a year in Florida; one in spring and another in fall. ECLECTIC ELEMENTS (PWTH004.TAUPE Butterflight). Because these caterpillars feed on spider webs, household debris including hair and fur, and use sand and insect parts to attach to its casing, frequent cleaning and vacuuming practices can help decrease potential food or nesting resources. Four poisonous species of caterpillars have been found in South Florida: the saddleback, puss, io and the hag. Common Bagworm Moth ( Psyche casta) Common bagworm moths are nocturnal and have a wingspan of 12 to 15 millimeters. . The imperial moth caterpillar is a horned caterpillar with long spiky horns at its head and a jaggy tail-like protrusion at its rear end. Despite its ugly appearance, the brown and white caterpillar turns into a spectacular butterfly with iridescent blue and orange colors. Be prepared to tell them which plant and which part of the plant was eaten, how much was consumed and whether there are any immediate symptoms. Expand Autoplay. They might look cute and fuzzy, but don't let their innocuous appearance fool you. Luna moth caterpillars have a characteristic habit of raising the front part of their body. The monarch caterpillar is easy to identify due to its black, yellow, and white stripes wrapping around its body. The Florida cecropia moth caterpillar, is an easy-to-identify fat caterpillar that has pronounced segments with rows of blue and yellow fleshy bumps, black spikes, and several orange tubercles at its head. Female fir tussock moth (Orgyia detrita) rubbing setae from her abdomen onto her egg mass. pupa with spatulate setae. The giant horned caterpillar has a bluish-green body, curved spiny red horns with black tips, orangey-red head, and black spines on its body. Parasitoids of Orgyia detrita and Orgyia definita have not been well-studied, but those of Orgyia leucostigma are well documented. However, they may occasionally be sufficiently numerous to completely defoliate large trees. Its easy to identify an azalea caterpillar due to its rusty brown or orange oval head, black and green stripes, and brownish-orange tail end. Fox News reports that the larvae of the Southern flannel moth, also commonly known as "asps," have been spotted in Florida, and experts are urging residents to stay far away from the furry white insects which like to hang out on oak and citrus trees.