Caterpillar found in my back yard. - Hemileuca peigleri

Moved- Probably not Hemileuca grotei

Moved from ID Request.

Both H. grotei and H. peigleri are found in Bexar Co., both feed on live oak, and both would be maturing around this time of the year. However, I decided on H. peigleri and not H. grotei for a couple key reasons. Firstly, the head of this specimen is red, H. grotei larvae have black heads. Second, this specimen's overall coloration is much more like that of H. peigleri with cream colored integument (no red intersegmental areas as in H. grotei) and yellowish dorsal rosette scoli.

… Ryan St Laurent, 7 May, 2013 - 8:33pm

This is H. grotei...

Two red intersegmental segments can be seen in this image.

… Ross Hill, 7 May, 2013 - 8:51pm

Red segments

The red segments you see are in fact the head and tail or head and legs. The body is that mottled white. Sorry I don't know all the correct terminology, but I do know that is what you're seeing. It's curled with head and tail to the viewer. Thank you all for your input. At 7yrs here, I'm still relatively new to the area and the bugs here are always a delightful discovery for me.

… Sarah Rachel, 8 May, 2013 - 12:12pm

H. peigleri

Ross, I am going on images of H. peigerli depicted on Bill Oehlke's World's Largest Saturniidae site and comparing with images of H. grotei larvae depicted on BugGuide, Bill's site, Tuskes et al (1996), and in Lemaire's Saturniidae of the Americas: Hemileucinae.

Additionally, there are a number of factors that I am seeing in this particular specimen that do not mesh with a determination of H. grotei. One important factor that I failed to mention before was the complete lack of hair-like secondary setae in this specimen. These hairlike setae are present in H. grotei giving that species a somewhat hairy appearance. As evident in this specimen, all integumental areas devoid of spines are completely smooth. The second image also displays the reddish thoracic legs, which are "dark brown" in H. grotei according to Lemaire.

I do not see the red intersegmental areas that you mention. The only red areas visible are the head and the prolegs. The intersegmental areas on this specimen are cream color like the segmental areas. Compare with a H. grotei here: http://bugguide.net/node/view/625328/bgimage

In that specimen the red areas are very clear, and on close examination the hair-like setae are also quite distinct. I would expect a specimen that is balled up like this individual to very clearly show red intersegmental areas if it were in fact H. grotei.

And like I mentioned before, the head coloration is another diagnostic feature. The reddish/orange coloration present in this individual agrees with Lemaire's description.

… Ryan St Laurent, 7 May, 2013 - 10:37pm

Determination of H. peigleri

So is the peigleri a stinger also, like the grotei? Would it be prudent to assume any with such spines sting?

… Sarah Rachel, 8 May, 2013 - 12:18pm

Yes

All Hemileuca species (and likely all species in the Saturniidae subfamily Hemileucinae) bear urticating spines and will sting.

H. peigerli was previously considered a subspecies of the eastern H. maia, and I have been stung by that species. It can be quite painful and rather long-lasting.

… Ryan St Laurent, 8 May, 2013 - 1:06pm

Right ID…

These are nice close-ups. It's probably best to leave these alone. The spines can inflict a painful sting that can leave you with welts that can last for days.

See reference here.

… Ross Hill, 7 May, 2013 - 8:08pm