What do monkey slug caterpillars turn into?
What do monkey slug caterpillars turn into?
While it looks like a nightmare creature that should be avoided, the monkey slug caterpillar is relatively harmless. Thanks to David L. Contrary to the happy metamorphoses made by story-time creatures like ugly ducklings and hungry caterpillars, the monkey slug transforms into the hag moth.
Are slug moth caterpillars poisonous?
While slug caterpillar research dates back more than a century, slug caterpillar species are described as a public health threat in many medical texts due to the venomous spines that protrude from their bodies. This species infests pine trees and is known to possess venomous spines.
Is the monkey slug poisonous?
Many of the monkey slug’s short, brown hairs are also poisonous. If one were to touch these hairs, the poison would cause their skin to burn, like a bee sting would.
What is a monkey slug?
The monkey slug is a species of legless caterpillar, but you would not want this larva to crawl across your fingers: the thick fuzz covering the sharp angled spines contain stinging hairs.
Where do slug moth caterpillars live?
slug caterpillar moth, (family Limacodidae), any of approximately 1,000 species of insects (order Lepidoptera) that are widely distributed throughout the world but are concentrated in the tropics.
What does a hag moth look like?
Hag Moths are extremely furry. Tufts of hair extend from every leg. Both genders are a dark mottled brown, though males have translucent wings. Females are larger than males and have light ivory hair on their legs while males do not.
Does a hag moth sting?
Hag moth caterpillar spines have toxin glands at their base, and the toxin is released upon contact. Symptoms can vary in severity and include burning or stinging, itching, redness, and inflammation. Allergic reactions are possible but not common.
Where do you find hag moth caterpillar?
Habitat/Distribution The hag moth caterpillar is a general feeder and is commonly found on shade trees and ornamental shrubs. They are usually seen in late summer.
What do monkey slug caterpillars eat?
Leaves of trees like ash, apple, cherry, birch, dogwood, chestnut, oak, hickory, walnut, persimmon, and willow are among the deciduous trees and shrubs that the slug caterpillars consume as well as where they reside. The hag moth larvae or the monkey slug caterpillar is one of the most widely recognized caterpillars.
What does the slug moth look like?
Its flattened body is oddly shaped, almost giving it the appearance of a chubby leaf. It is still slow moving, like ordinary caterpillars, but it has a few suckers instead of legs and feet. Those suckers make it possible to travel on the under-side of leaves.
Where do hag moth caterpillars live?
Habitat/Distribution The hag moth caterpillar is a general feeder and is commonly found on shade trees and ornamental shrubs.
Where do monkey slug caterpillars live?
They are mostly found on their own and in areas such as Nebraska, Quebec, and Maine. Leaves of trees like ash, apple, cherry, birch, dogwood, chestnut, oak, hickory, walnut, persimmon, and willow are among the deciduous trees and shrubs that the slug caterpillars consume as well as where they reside.
What is a monkey slug caterpillar?
Monkey slug. Slug caterpillars are a group of often brightly colored and oddly shaped moth caterpillars. They’re unique in that they lack prolegs, those temporary legs on the abdomen worn by moth and butterfly larvae to help them get around on the leaves, twigs, or grass stems where they feed.
What does a slug moth look like in Missouri?
Missouri has more than 20 species in the slug caterpillar moth family. The adult moths’ heavy bodies and wide, rounded wings are both thickly covered with scales, creating a furry appearance. Many are bright yellow-brown with variously colored lines and patches on the forewings.
What is the name of the caterpillar with no legs?
CATERPILLAR OF THE WEEK: The aptly named Monkey Slug Caterpillar – Phobetron pithecium. With no legs to speak of, a dozen waving tentacles, a thick mat of hair, and ample sharp spines, there really is nothing else quite like a Monkey Slug.
How did the monkey slug get its name?
The name monkey slug may come from the fact that the caterpillar’s upper surface is covered with dense brown setae which resemble hair or fur and may appear monkey-like to some. I don’t get that impression, but a name is a name and I’ll call it a monkey slug if that’s what its official common name is.
