Dear Readers,
Yesterday I was outside perusing my newly refreshed gardens, which surround the front, side, and back of my house, daydreaming about what types of perennials I could plant to attract more pollinators.
While thinking about milkweed, wild geraniums, wild columbine, and plants whose names I’ve yet to learn, something on the siding caught my eye. It was a caterpillar — like nothing I’d ever seen before.
Adhering to my policy of not touching insects or critters, for both their safety and mine, I left it alone. But I did run back into my house to grab my camera, which also doubles as my phone. I snapped a few pictures, and submitted one of them to my iNaturalist app. The results were simply stated as “unknown.”
To me the caterpillar looks like something one of my young grandkids would engineer out of odd pieces of Legos or draw and color on a blank sheet of paper, producing something otherworldly and fantastical, but in no way realistic.
So, I am asking if any of my readers knows what type of caterpillar this is and what it turns into.
Thanks!
Writing Near the Lake 
I can’t help you with identification since it looks like a fancy fishing lure to me! LOL
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It does look like a fancy fly fishing lure! One of my readers gave me an identification that seems very likely — White-marked Tussock Moth caterpillar (Orgyia leucostigma).
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Looks like it could be a wet White-marked Tussock Moth caterpillar (Orgyia leucostigma). It DOES look like something a kid would make with Legos!
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Thanks, Marie. That looks like what it is. It was probably wet because I was sprying my lower foundation in order to wash off some dirt along the foundation. The caterpillar was up high on the siding, but I imagine some of the mist got it wet.
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I’m happy to have been of service!
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very interesting. I wish I could help but I’m extremely clueless about bugs and garden critters.
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I don’t know my bugs and insects either. One of my readers said it’s most likely a White-marked Tussock Moth caterpillar (Orgyia leucostigma). If people handle it, they can have an allergic reation to it. It has some type of toxin to help protect it.
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Glad you got an identification: I can be of no help. To me, it looks like a fuzzy bit of unreal and a little be of chewing gum. 🙂
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I agree that it looks unreal! I like your description of it. I read that if humans handle it, they can have an allergic reaction.
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🙂 Always wise not to touch these things.
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It definately is some type of woolly worm to turn into a moth. Quite the design!
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It seems to me that moths have some colorful caterpillars. I have seen the white-marked tussock moth before, which is what this caterpillar will become. I like discovering nature in my yard. Yesterday my husband saw a hummingbird feeding at hosta flowers in our yard.
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Even though our yard is in Tucson, we have a number of flowers, plants, and bushes which attract all sorts of nature with wings and legs.
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The desert is filled with life. My parents lived in Tucson for years, and I still have a sister who lives there.
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Wow, that is one interesting looking caterpillar. I hope it isn’t the type that poses a huge threat to your plantings. I think some types “over nibble.” 🐛
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I’ve never seen one of these before, and my plants don’t show signs of being nibbled. It appears they like to nibble on tree leaves and will enjoy a wide variety of tree leaves. They also are more prevalent in the eastern parts of North America. I have seen the moths around here in the past, but this is the first time I’ve seen the caterpillar. Your comment made me think of the children’s story The Very Hungry Caterpillar. My grandkids liked that book!
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You sent me googling for this one. It’s a Tussock moth caterpillar and no they do not turn into butterflies but into full grown moths.
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