Interesting caterpillars... (BIG TIME BANDWIDTH WARNING!!!)

[PeterB]

... can anyone here identify these guys? Just found these two on my doorstep... learned the hard way that those spiny things must have some sort of toxin on them. Curious that they seemed to be hanging out together. Sorry for the ultra-huge pics, I wanted to make sure you guys could see the detail.





... this place is veritably teeming with life, compared to MA...

[Monster]

don't know, but

[mikebw]

sweet, never seen anything like those guys before. I might have guessed about the spines being a defensive measure.
Quite unique.

It would appear to be a 'spiny' type caterpillar, but I don' t see a matching pic on this site- http://www.whatsthiscaterpillar.co.uk/america/index.htm for North American caterpillars.

What state did you see them in?

[TheCaber]

According to "What's That Bug: More Caterpillars", it's an Io Moth caterpillar.

http://whatsthatbug.com/caterpillar_2.html
(a bit more than halfway down the page).

[quote What's That Bug]
Io Moth Caterpillar
(07/18/2005) Any idea what kind of caterpillar this is?
Hello
An hour ago I was out in the yard & came across this caterpillar..I've not seen it move much so I'm thinking it will be soon going into chrysalis or making a cacoon,whichever it does.The caterpillar was found on my Hyacinth bean vine . Unlike most women my age that I know I LOVE bugs.I go out looking for them..
Take care
Vicki Marshman
ps,,great site.



Hi Vicki,
Thanks for the compliment. Your caterpillar is an Io Moth, Automeris io. We have some adult moth images on our Saturnid or Silkmoth page. The caterpillar is very fond of cherry leaves. Careful handling that caterpillar. The spines can cause a stinging sensation if they penetrate the skin.
bolding mine.

[PeterB]

Thanks guys ... this is the state of LA.

Io moth ??? Jeez, that's a fairly pretty moth. Should have kept a caterpillar to see.

[Donkey Hotay]

Peter, would you be willing to send a (cropped, slightly reduced in size) photo to What's That Bug ?
You captured detail that the other photo seems to lack.
TC (DH at home) couldn't see the spines very well on the WTB site, but the side stripes were the clincher. Your photo has both stripes and spines.

[PeterB]

DH, sure, I could send it to "What's that bug?", but... at the rate I'm going, you'd be better off to do it yourself (it would be faster)...