About this Caterpillar:
The white flannel moth caterpillar feels like anything but flannel – it's prickly. Look closely, and you'll see long hairs extending from its sides. Clumps of shorter, stinging spines line its back and sides. The adult moth is white, as the name suggests, but this larva wears a color scheme of black, yellow, and orange.Where It's Found:
Fields and forests from Virginia to Missouri, and south to Florida and Texas.What It Eats:
Redbud, hackberry, elm, black locust, oak, and some other woody plants. Also greenbrier.Group:
Flannel Moths (Family Megalopygidae)Sources:
- Caterpillars of Eastern North America by David L. Wagner
- Stinging Caterpillars: A Guide to Recognition of Species Found on Alabama Trees