Many caterpillars aren’t to safe to pick up. If you don’t know what the species is that you’re admiring, proceed with caution. These are four caterpillars that can cause a very itchy rash if you pick them up. To be safe, look but don’t touch. This one is a Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar (Lophocampa caryae). They’re native to the eastern half of North America.
A pretty one that I see frequently. The White-marked Tussock Moth caterpillar (Orgyia leucostigma). Another caterpillar of eastern North America which can become a pest in Christmas tree farms. Oh NO.
And this beauty is a Banded Tussock Moth caterpillar (Halysidota tessellaris). Found in the eastern three-quarters of North America, excluding west of the Rockies.
And this wild and crazy looking creature is a Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillar (Euchaetes egle). They’re found on Milkweed and Dogbane, from southern Canada south through Texas and Florida in North America.
