Tussock or Tiger Moth Caterpillar - Apatelodes torrefacta - BugGuide.Net

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Photo#138171

Copyright © 2007 Jay Greenberg

Tussock or Tiger Moth Caterpillar - Apatelodes torrefacta

Oatka Creek Park, Monroe County, New York, USA
August 19, 2007
Size: 2 inch

I think this ball of fluff is some kind of tussock moth or tiger moth larva, but I haven't found anything quite like it on bugguide.net or elsewhere. It was on the underside of the leaf.

Contributed by Jay Greenberg on 20 August, 2007 - 3:16pm
Last updated 11 November, 2007 - 10:23am

Difficult to tell from this angle and with only one image,

but this appears to have the long soft hair of Apatelodes and the black hair pencils seem to be far forward, on the thorax rather than the abdomen. Acronicta would have stiffer, brush-like, tufted hairs, and paired hair pencils on the abdomen. What about the image suggests to you that it is A. americana?

… john and jane balaban, 21 October, 2011 - 8:59am

Moved

Moved from Butterflies and Moths.

… john and jane balaban, 11 November, 2007 - 10:23am

Caterpillar

Yes, it does look similar to Apatelodes torrefacta. Thanks for your help.

… Jay Greenberg, 2 September, 2007 - 2:51pm

Three tufts - we're thinking

Apatelodes. Check in the guide here and see what you think.

… john and jane balaban, 2 September, 2007 - 2:36pm

misidentification

actually this is an American Dagger moth larva (Acronicta americana). It even appears to be on the common food plant, a redbud tree.

… Lisa Ayres, 20 October, 2011 - 11:33pm

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