Euchaetes egle (Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar)

So… We were poking around the remains of the Matelea gonocarpa (Angularfruit Milkvine) vines looking for seed pods that we may have missed before the vines were mowed. We saw a couple of caterpillars that seemed a little frantic – making their way quickly along one of the vine stalks. We didn’t know what it was at the time but we took some shots…

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A little research revealed them to be Euchaetes egle, the Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar. In truth, they may have been frantically looking for matelea leaves, many of which had been destroyed by the mowing. There were some vines that were still in tact with leaves. Hopefully these little guys made it to the food.
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Identification resources:
Bug Guide:
- Euchaetes egle (Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar)
- Euchaetes egle (Milkweed Tussock Moth)

Related post:
- Carnage…