Erinn Letts Photos

By ErinnL

American Dagger Moth Caterpillar

Jim found this fuzzy yellow caterpillar crawling on our house. Apparently the kids have seen a few of them in the neighborhood. We weren't sure what it was at the time, but we figured it probably ate leaves, so we moved it to the Viburnum, which is already starting to turn color. We later looked the little guy up and found out that it is an American Dagger Moth Caterpillar. They are often seen into the late fall month, although their bright color fades to pale yellow or white as they near the time of pupation. Once we looked up the moth stage, I realized I have actually taken a few photos of this guy's predecessors. They camouflage nicely on our shingle shakes.

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