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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Silkworm, Sphinx, and Royal Moths (Bombycoidea) » Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths (Saturniidae) » Buck and Io Moths (Hemileucinae) » Hemileucini » Hemileuca » Buck Moth - Hodges#7730 (Hemileuca maia)
Photo#55209
Spikey Caterpillar - Hemileuca maia
Copyright © 2006 yud

Spikey Caterpillar - Hemileuca maia
Shenandoah County, Virginia, USA
May 23, 2006
I found a bunch of these caterpillars around one day. Are the spikes dangerous? I tried to keep the cats and dogs away from the caterpillars.
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Contributed by yud on 2 June, 2006 - 8:08am
Last updated 2 June, 2006 - 9:40am

Smart move keeping your pets away
This does appear to be one of the stinging caterpillars, specifically Hemileuca maia, Buck Moth, I think. Looks like it's on Oak, right? Compare

… Hannah Nendick-Mason, 2 June, 2006 - 8:57am login or register to post comments

 
Yeah, that one was on an oak
Yeah, that one was on an oak leaf. Whenever I found one crawling around on the ground I'd scoop it up on a leaf and put it back up in the tree so that the animals couldn't get to it. Thanks!
… yud, 2 June, 2006 - 9:33am login or register to post comments

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