CLOSED: What kind of caterpillar?

I guess I wondering if this is a pest? I like seeing butterflies around the garden, but still have nightmarish memories of gypsy moths as a kid. I've now spotted two of these in my gardens.

He'd be a dead one if he were at my house. Wouldn't live long enough to have it's glamour shot! lol!

Thanks, that's helpful.

Here is a picture of one that I spotted on our front porch steps last week - it looks similar to yours. We also had them when I was growing up in the foothills of NC but we didn't know what they were. I spent hours online looking last weekend and I believe it is an American Dagger moth caterpillar, Acronicta americana. Here are some websites:

This one has some pictures of the "finished moth". Not as attractive as you would think maybe, considering the caterpillar's appearance:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/505/bgpage

This one gives just a tiny bit of information on them, and a picture closer to ours:
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/insects/cateast/acroamer.htm

I personally think they are really cute. Mine even had a cute face with big eyes. I have a suspicion they are venomous but I can't confirm this (and I'm not gonna test it out myself!)

Edit: I just realized I didn't answer your question as to whether it is a pest or not. I'm not familiar with moths in relation to gardening yet (I'm a noob) but at least maybe this will get you in the right direction. Since I spent so much time researching this weekend I thought I'd share. :)

Best wishes!
Lisa

This message was edited Jul 12, 2006 8:09 PM

I don't think that's the same cat. If you don't get an ID here try the butterfly forum. There are a lot of knowledgeable people there that can ID things. I saw one yesterday and would like to know too.

Yellow Woolly Bear Moth or Spilosoma virginica AKA Virginia Tiger Moth.
They come in white too....
Eat on plants, of course, but not a bothersome pest.

that second one is a little cutie, and i don't say that too often about a cat!

Ahh yes, they are different. I originally thought mine was the woolly bear, but the "fur" on mine is "furrier" and the hairs seem closer together. Not to brag but mine is cuter ;) I'm interested in your gypsy moth story from when you were little. Did they eat through the garden or is there more to it than that?

Yeah, I agree, greenshadow's caterpillar is cuter and fuzzier. From what I was able to find myself, I thought it was a yellow woolly bear. I just wanted some other opinions. Of course I know they eat plants. I just wanted to know if there is potential for them to get out of control. I can't smush it. I would have to have DH do that. Other bugs I can smush, but not caterpilllars, especially fuzzy ones. It's not because I like them either. When I was a kid in elementary school, I went to a school that was surrounded by woods. Every year, the gypsy moths would come and cover the playground, actually all the school grounds. But the playground was the worst because after lunch each day, you were hearded outside. Everything was covered with these things. With those nests in the trees, just dripping with them. You literally couldn't walk without smushing catepillars. It was gross. Makes me gag to think about it. I can't smush catepillars. Yuck!

Here's a good site for checking out bugs...

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/

I saw a couple this past week here too and was wondering what they are. Mine look exactly the same as the first post. The others on the site seem to have black hairs. Mine are completely white. Andrea

Yeah, the first one looks a little wirey, and no black hairs. The succeeding pictures look fluffy, like an angora cat.

Something's eating my potato leaves, but I haven't seen any caterpillars. Or any other bugs on them, for that matter.