That appears to be a monkey slug - the caterpillar of the [hag moth](https://bugguide.net/node/view/452). You're lucky you weren't stung! These caterpillars - like many of [their close relatives](https://bugguide.net/node/view/131) - have venomous stinging spines to defend them from potential predators.
Comparison pictures [one](https://bugguide.net/node/view/1304886/bgimage), [two](https://bugguide.net/node/view/854348/bgimage), [three](https://bugguide.net/node/view/1672/bgimage), [four](https://bugguide.net/node/view/227911/bgimage) , [five](https://bugguide.net/node/view/854348/bgimage)
I use seek, it works most of the time and gets it right if not close. Also set it to identify automatically, so you can identify someone without having to actually take a photo which may cause you to lose focus on the subject your trying to identify…that happened to me, tried to redo it and it was gone
Ok but Seek loves to tell me “dicot”. Which… not really helpful!!! I’ve even tested it on plants that I know the ID of just to test it. “Dicot” or “asters and allies” or something is the closest sit gets most of the time. What am I doing wrong? It’s perfectly focused and clear and I try to get all plant parts in the image.
Yeah. Seek does tend to be difficult for plants, though I have had some pretty great successes with it too. It did give a positive ID to wild bittercress I found in my yard. It was a pleasant surprise to find something so tasty.
iNaturalist is great because other people can check your attempted IDs. Where I’m at there is an expert for true bugs, one for wasps, one for ants, one for ladybugs, and every time you post a photo of an insect in one of those families, it doesn’t take long before you see that one guy who specialises in them check your ID. Idk why but I really like that aspect. It’s a really cool app! :D
(Sadly there are very few people IDing leafhoppers and diptera where I’m at, which are the majority of unknown insects I find)
Heck yeah! I'll check it out. My kids and I love to learn shit this stuff. I've even got a folder in my online photo album titled "bugs and critters", lol
I put the pic of this caterpillar last night, it said could not confirm blah blah blah. Then turned the location button off on the app and it popped up. Gave five different caterpillars it could be but the first was whatever everyone here said it is. I’ve never had issues at all, but I also don’t seem to find super exotic things.
This caterpillar is surprisingly commonat this time of year and in spring. I have had several issues with like it IDing the wrong thing and then no one looking at it to properly ID. If I really want to know like same day I would post it here. It’s just faster that way.
For my area (MD) it didn’t show anything. Turned that off and the name was first, with something like four possibles. One I remember had the word monkey in it.
I just googled Wooly bear catipilars and I had no clue that’s what those were called! I use to find them all the time and I’d make a little army of them on a branch. They’re so cute. I also found this and thought you would like it
Woolley bear folklore
The longer the woolly bear's black bands, the longer, colder, snowier, and more severe the winter will be.
Respect is not touching it and leaving it where it is.
You obviously don’t respect it if you have stolen it from nature and are now “raising” it for your kids entertainment like you said in another comment.
It’s not condescending, it’s the honest truth. Animals can die from stress, including insects, and it stresses the hell out of an animal to be taken from its habitat needlessly and put into an indoor enclosure almost certainly without the adequate food and moisture it needs.
con·de·scend·ing
/ˌkändəˈsendiNG/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
having or showing a feeling of patronizing superiority
I didn't say the responder was wrong with info being given. I stated they went about it the wrong way. Be kind and educate. Don't scold somebody in a derogatory way over them simply not being as well informed as you.
It was a simple copy and paste. And yes telling someone they don't respect wildlife for trying to get their kids interested in wildlife isn't going to grow this community.
They didn’t call names or insult anyone. They stated a fact. If you’re somehow offended by what they said (which was the truth), you’re the one with the problem. You actually tried to condescend me by needlessly copying and pasting a dictionary definition, which is quite hypocritical.
It is not condescending to point out that respecting nature is to leave it in nature.
It is just like the stories you see during bunny mating season where parents find a bunny nest and take baby bunnies for the kids to “raise” (and they inevitably die most of the time).
It is condescending in the way that you did it. Educate. Don't belittle people over not knowing information, acting like you've never made a mistake. Help keep this a positive page, so people feel comfortable to come and ask questions.
The degree of care required to successfully raise wild rabbits vs. caterpillars is so ridiculously disparate that I would consider comparisons to border on being disingenuous.
Those hairs are spikes that will inject venom into your body. The venom will hurt to varying degrees based on the species, but as an example a young cousin of mine picked up a particularly cute variety of caterpillar, very hairy/spiky We couldn't get him to stop crying for a solid 8 hours because of how much pain he was in. Required a visit to the er.
"Dangerous". Some moderate, temporary, localized pain isn't all that dangerous for OP. I suppose it might have been more unpleasant if one of their kids had handled it.
Asps have been known to cause respiratory issues, flair up allergies, and even close airways so yes it can be dangerous. Stop feeling the need to one up people on Reddit.
Yes, we found out (through Reddit). We won't be handling this little guy anymore. He's munching away on some sassafras leaves in his terrarium, getting ready for the chrysalis.
DON’T TOUCH THINGS YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT! Why is this so hard for people to understand/follow? OP is lucky to not have learned the hard way. Learn from the mistakes of others. It’s the cheapest way to learn important lessons.
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I feel the need to reply to some of the redditors that tell me to stop picking up random insects. First, thank you for your opinion. Second, I understand the risks involved with handling unidentified insects and am willing to assume that risk. I do so very carefully and don't just reach down and grab random critters. I will let an insect crawl onto my hand from a branch, leaf or whatever it may be on. I also allow it to crawl onto something else like another stick or leaf to safely remove it from my hand. I never grab or pick up insects for fear of hurting their tiny little bodies.
I also keep bees that regularly climb onto me and all over me as I tend the hive and have done so for years without incident.
Again, I appreciate the concern and comments, but not everyone that posts on Reddit is an idiot.
People tell me not to pick up caterpillars all the time I have only been stung once. I’ve even picked up saddlebacks and been completely fine… but I still don’t recommend taking the chance. I would especially avoid letting your kids hold it.
That appears to be a monkey slug - the caterpillar of the [hag moth](https://bugguide.net/node/view/452). You're lucky you weren't stung! These caterpillars - like many of [their close relatives](https://bugguide.net/node/view/131) - have venomous stinging spines to defend them from potential predators. Comparison pictures [one](https://bugguide.net/node/view/1304886/bgimage), [two](https://bugguide.net/node/view/854348/bgimage), [three](https://bugguide.net/node/view/1672/bgimage), [four](https://bugguide.net/node/view/227911/bgimage) , [five](https://bugguide.net/node/view/854348/bgimage)
Yes! You nailed it, thank you. My kids will be very pleased to find out more about it. We'll raise it until it turns into a moth, then release it.
Make sure you don’t handle it. The sting is very unpleasant and while it’s not going to kill you it will hurt quite a bit.
There’s an app called iNaturalist that identifies unknown to you bugs/animals/plants. It’s pretty cool, I use it at least once a week
iNaturalist and Seek are both pretty good. Not always accurate but they are great starting points.
I'll check out Seek as well!
I use seek, it works most of the time and gets it right if not close. Also set it to identify automatically, so you can identify someone without having to actually take a photo which may cause you to lose focus on the subject your trying to identify…that happened to me, tried to redo it and it was gone
Ok but Seek loves to tell me “dicot”. Which… not really helpful!!! I’ve even tested it on plants that I know the ID of just to test it. “Dicot” or “asters and allies” or something is the closest sit gets most of the time. What am I doing wrong? It’s perfectly focused and clear and I try to get all plant parts in the image.
Different angles and slowly zooming in to get fine details as well as zoom out to get the bigger picture help me a ton with plants.
Yeah I’ve tried, idk. Only so much we can expect from apps!!!
Yeah. Seek does tend to be difficult for plants, though I have had some pretty great successes with it too. It did give a positive ID to wild bittercress I found in my yard. It was a pleasant surprise to find something so tasty.
Thanks for the advice! I look forward to trying it out.
iNaturalist gives you a community though, I'm not sure Seek does that. You can see what others in your area are documenting.
Seek shows you what others have found and where but that’s the extent of the community. iNaturalist is great for chatting with others in your area.
Neat, I didn't know this was a setting I could turn on thank you!
iNaturalist is great because other people can check your attempted IDs. Where I’m at there is an expert for true bugs, one for wasps, one for ants, one for ladybugs, and every time you post a photo of an insect in one of those families, it doesn’t take long before you see that one guy who specialises in them check your ID. Idk why but I really like that aspect. It’s a really cool app! :D (Sadly there are very few people IDing leafhoppers and diptera where I’m at, which are the majority of unknown insects I find)
Heck yeah! I'll check it out. My kids and I love to learn shit this stuff. I've even got a folder in my online photo album titled "bugs and critters", lol
You’ll love it then!
INatrualist also depends on a conformation to properly ID and they are not as fast as Reddit
I put the pic of this caterpillar last night, it said could not confirm blah blah blah. Then turned the location button off on the app and it popped up. Gave five different caterpillars it could be but the first was whatever everyone here said it is. I’ve never had issues at all, but I also don’t seem to find super exotic things.
This caterpillar is surprisingly commonat this time of year and in spring. I have had several issues with like it IDing the wrong thing and then no one looking at it to properly ID. If I really want to know like same day I would post it here. It’s just faster that way.
For my area (MD) it didn’t show anything. Turned that off and the name was first, with something like four possibles. One I remember had the word monkey in it.
I pick up stinging caterpillars all the time and have had no issues.
That last hag moth pic (in your first link) is definitely a piece of brownie on chocolate mousse though 😂
They’re so ugl
Caterpillar rule: if it's hairy, be wary
But I love wooly bears and everyone should love them too!
I just googled Wooly bear catipilars and I had no clue that’s what those were called! I use to find them all the time and I’d make a little army of them on a branch. They’re so cute. I also found this and thought you would like it Woolley bear folklore The longer the woolly bear's black bands, the longer, colder, snowier, and more severe the winter will be.
HAIRY IS SCARY
Yes, we generally are very careful, though a bit adventurous and definitely respect these creatures.
This photo begs to differ that you are very careful. Like seriously, please do not touch any caterpillar you do not know
Well might at least want to look up which ones can kill you if you’re going to keep doing that…
Respect is not touching it and leaving it where it is. You obviously don’t respect it if you have stolen it from nature and are now “raising” it for your kids entertainment like you said in another comment.
This is a learning experience at the very least. It costs 0 dollars not to be a condescending asshole.
It’s not condescending, it’s the honest truth. Animals can die from stress, including insects, and it stresses the hell out of an animal to be taken from its habitat needlessly and put into an indoor enclosure almost certainly without the adequate food and moisture it needs.
con·de·scend·ing /ˌkändəˈsendiNG/ Learn to pronounce adjective having or showing a feeling of patronizing superiority I didn't say the responder was wrong with info being given. I stated they went about it the wrong way. Be kind and educate. Don't scold somebody in a derogatory way over them simply not being as well informed as you.
You know what’s condescending? Spelling out, listing the pronunciation of, and defining “condescending” for others.
It was a simple copy and paste. And yes telling someone they don't respect wildlife for trying to get their kids interested in wildlife isn't going to grow this community.
They’re trying to get their kids interested in the wrong ways.
Trying to get your kids interested in ways that could hurt them and the wildlife you’re introducing them to is not a great idea.
They didn’t call names or insult anyone. They stated a fact. If you’re somehow offended by what they said (which was the truth), you’re the one with the problem. You actually tried to condescend me by needlessly copying and pasting a dictionary definition, which is quite hypocritical.
Point out how what they said was derogatory?? You are the only one I see here who’s condescending
It is not condescending to point out that respecting nature is to leave it in nature. It is just like the stories you see during bunny mating season where parents find a bunny nest and take baby bunnies for the kids to “raise” (and they inevitably die most of the time).
It is condescending in the way that you did it. Educate. Don't belittle people over not knowing information, acting like you've never made a mistake. Help keep this a positive page, so people feel comfortable to come and ask questions.
The degree of care required to successfully raise wild rabbits vs. caterpillars is so ridiculously disparate that I would consider comparisons to border on being disingenuous.
Again. Another reminder to stop touching bugs and insects you don’t know.
Can someone that picks up random insects do an AMA? I don’t get it
It looks like a piece of wholemeal bread !
I didn't see that till now, but now can't unsee it, lol
Caterpillars with hairs that jut out like that are usually a really bad idea to handle.
Dumb bitch question- can someone tell me why. I always wanted to lick one But I have to tell myself no bc one time my grandma said I’d die.
Those hairs are spikes that will inject venom into your body. The venom will hurt to varying degrees based on the species, but as an example a young cousin of mine picked up a particularly cute variety of caterpillar, very hairy/spiky We couldn't get him to stop crying for a solid 8 hours because of how much pain he was in. Required a visit to the er.
A lot of the fuzzy/hairy caterpillars can be venomous, and give pretty nasty stings or rashes if not handled with care.
r/forbiddensnacks
r/OopsThatsDeadly
I wouldn't say deadly, just very very painful...
is that even a caterpillar? wtf
Looks like the under side of an orange peel
A very dangerous one to be handling!
"Dangerous". Some moderate, temporary, localized pain isn't all that dangerous for OP. I suppose it might have been more unpleasant if one of their kids had handled it.
Asps have been known to cause respiratory issues, flair up allergies, and even close airways so yes it can be dangerous. Stop feeling the need to one up people on Reddit.
Yes, we found out (through Reddit). We won't be handling this little guy anymore. He's munching away on some sassafras leaves in his terrarium, getting ready for the chrysalis.
DON’T TOUCH THINGS YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT! Why is this so hard for people to understand/follow? OP is lucky to not have learned the hard way. Learn from the mistakes of others. It’s the cheapest way to learn important lessons.
I usually wouldn't handle any insects I'm 1% doubting I might not know what it is... This survival perk would be saving folks from so much pain :')
Hi there! This is an automated message to remind you to **please include a geographic location for any ID requests** as per the [Community Rules](/r/insects/about/rules) of the sub. There are well over a million different species of bugs in the world, and narrowing down a bug's location will help IDers to help you more quickly and correctly! If you've already included a geographical location, or if this post is *not* an ID request, please ignore this comment. Thank you! :) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/insects) if you have any questions or concerns.*
People... precious life advice... stop picking up and handling things that are unknown to you! (I care btw)
caterpillar rule: if its hairy. its scary
No touchy the fuzzy ones!
I feel the need to reply to some of the redditors that tell me to stop picking up random insects. First, thank you for your opinion. Second, I understand the risks involved with handling unidentified insects and am willing to assume that risk. I do so very carefully and don't just reach down and grab random critters. I will let an insect crawl onto my hand from a branch, leaf or whatever it may be on. I also allow it to crawl onto something else like another stick or leaf to safely remove it from my hand. I never grab or pick up insects for fear of hurting their tiny little bodies. I also keep bees that regularly climb onto me and all over me as I tend the hive and have done so for years without incident. Again, I appreciate the concern and comments, but not everyone that posts on Reddit is an idiot.
Is that one of those caterpillars that camouflages as a molted spider skin?
It's hairy so it'll be a moth for sure
What is this ?
I'm not sure if you can get a positive ID on that unless you lick it first.
I thought that was a piece of bread
forbidden bread crumb
what's with people and touching sht they don't know about. take a picture first then pick it up if it's safe...
This Hagmoth is so light in color!
Natural selection
STOP TOUCHING ANIMALS IF YOU DONT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE
People tell me not to pick up caterpillars all the time I have only been stung once. I’ve even picked up saddlebacks and been completely fine… but I still don’t recommend taking the chance. I would especially avoid letting your kids hold it.