What?

[Alex from GA]

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[Alex from GA]

A little background. North Georgia, on a winter sweet shrub, 9/16/23, 10:30 am.

[livingplanet3]

A little background. North Georgia, on a winter sweet shrub, 9/16/23, 10:30 am...

The Saddleback caterpillar (Acharia stimulea) -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddleback_caterpillar

https://bugguide.net/node/view/507

[Alex from GA]

Thanks, that's the first one we've seen in the 24 years we've lived here.

[livingplanet3]

Thanks, that's the first one we've seen in the 24 years we've lived here.

In my area, the Spiny oak slug (Euclea delphinii) (link below) seems to be more common than the Saddleback caterpillar -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiny_oak_slug

They're both in the family Limacodidae. These "slug caterpillars" have stinging spines, but considerably more feared is the larva of Megalopyge opercularis (family Megalopygidae), which is larger and has quite a potent sting -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalopyge_opercularis

I frequently see these variably colored "tree asps" in the fall as they leave the trees and wander about looking for places to make their cocoons. Fortunately, I've managed to avoid being stung, thus far.

In the American tropics, it has even larger relatives, such as Podalia spp. -