Noshing Caterpillar - Estigmene acrea

We would suggest

Estigmene acrea - Salt Marsh Moth. Images in the guide here. Does it live out there in California?

… john and jane balaban, 13 June, 2006 - 11:29am

Maybe

This was a couple feet away from the day's other caterpillar. This one was longer, darker, and definitely looked different. It's a California pillar, found at a fresh water marsh.

… Ron Hemberger, 13 June, 2006 - 4:25pm

Just checked on Northern Prairie

and indeed it's a California native. See map

… john and jane balaban, 13 June, 2006 - 5:04pm

Oh ho, I got the wrong "it"

I thought the "it" was mine, not yours. Orange County is certainly covered by the map. (We're just south of L.A.) Hope I see the moth!

"Insects of the Los Angeles Basin", a popular book around here, calls it Acrea Moth, saying it's probably the most common tiger moth in the basin and across the US. (Apparently, the Salt Water Marsh moniker comes from the Atlantic Coast.)

The book's description of the pillar will probably make much more sense to you than to me...

"The larva is a typical wooly-bear (slightly over 2 in., or 50mm long), but its hairs are rather sparse. Its integument is also fairly light and has colored spots; the centers of the spiracles are white."

… Ron Hemberger, 13 June, 2006 - 5:21pm

You can see the row of white spiracles -

about five of the spiracles are visible in a row down the side of the caterpillar, one per body segment.

… john and jane balaban, 13 June, 2006 - 6:39pm