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nutsaboutflowers

Fuzzy caterpillar - Friend or Foe ?

nutsaboutflowers
12 years ago

This morning I discovered some type of caterpillar eating the foliage on a tiger lily.

It's pale yellow with a slight greenish tinge, about 1-1/2 inches long, it's fuzz is about 1/4 inch, and it has a yellow head. I can see him eating the leaves.

Does anyone know what it is? Should I keep it because it's a good guy, or give it to some kids to put in a jar ?

Comments (11)

  • marricgardens
    12 years ago

    Sorry, I can't help you. When we first started dating, I picked up a Fuzzy Wuzzy, a brown caterpillar with a black band around its middle. DH has an big ick factor regarding caterpillars so I chased him around the yard with it. He's now more used to them but still doesn't like them! Marg

  • beegood_gw
    12 years ago

    I'd say if it's eating leaves let the kids put it in a jar( with no food and water).

  • northspruce
    12 years ago

    As far as I know most of the wooly caterpillars are tiger moths. They're only as good as what they're eating so if you don't want your lily eaten, pick it off and keep in a jar/throw over fence/squash with foot. Whatever you're comfortable with.

  • northspruce
    12 years ago

    By the way I am the least squeamish person on earth but I just realized I was browsing caterpillars on bugguide.net while eating a bag of caterpillar-shaped cashews, and I almost threw up. LOL

  • Ginny McLean_Petite_Garden
    12 years ago

    Gil, that is funny! So you are the one who has been toasting those pillars. Lol

  • Konrad___far_north
    12 years ago

    How about a show & tell on caterpillars.

  • nutsaboutflowers
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Eeeewww, Gillian......I looked at the website you mentioned. I sure wish they didn't show such swarms of them ! I searched the pictures for my caterpillar, and didn't find it yet. I took a better look at the darn thing, cut the stem of the lily ( one I don't like anyway) and double bagged it and threw it in the garbage. I don't think I have the stomach to look again on that website or any others for a while. I guess I can do without knowing what it was. Thank goodness cashews are high in calories and not something a person really "needs" to eat to survive, as I doubt I'll be eating any of them anytime soon now, LOL! My stomach hurts. My "ick factor" tolerance is pretty low.

    Konrad - If you do a thread on caterpillars, please put a subject matter warning in your first post =:) I don't think I'll appreciate your pictures of them like I do all your other pictures =:)

  • northspruce
    12 years ago

    I have a spiders gallery on my Facebook, most of my friends don't appreciate them at all. ;0) In fact some are pretty vocal about "hairspray and a lighter" and such.

    I'd join a caterpillar show & tell but I haven't seen any good subjects around lately.

  • Konrad___far_north
    12 years ago

    LOL...Nuts..yes I will..

    Perhaps later in season or winter when we need something to talk about,...I have two caterpillar now I would like to have it I.D.
    Is this the place here?

  • northspruce
    12 years ago

    If you want to post a caterpillar I'll see if I can ID it Konrad. Done eating now...

  • Konrad___far_north
    12 years ago

    OK...thanks!..It's raining here so I have a bit time now, I start
    a new thread.