Hello everyone,
I just spotted these little orange cats yesterday on a Hackberry. Does anyone know what they are?
Thanks!
Mark
Unknown cats on a Hackberry
Someone better at cat id than I will come along. Hang in there!
John
Btw, welcome to DG Mark!!
I was browsing a butterfly picture area this morning and found a picture resembling yours. The photo was of a Buck moth, Hemileuca maia. I did some web searches and found the following site from your area discussing problems there with these and three other moths. The link below will take you there. http://wwwsrch2.doa.state.la.us/news/submitArticles/200519A607103/200519A607103CaterpillarsOverwhelming-04-22-05.htm
Good Luck!
Art
Mark, yesterday walking around the yard, I noted a hybiscus I had moved last fall was finally perking up. While inspecting it, I remembered why I had moved it in the first place. It was between fence sections about 10' from the pool. It came up to the patio area and the grandchildren horsing around would bang into it. Once one of them came back crying they had been stung. They had been stung by a IO moth cat, which has a very nasty sting. Then yesterday I remembered seeing one particular IO moth cat on this bush which reminded me of your picture. The difference was mine was a full grown cat with a grouping of mini cats looking like yours all over the full grown cat. If you watch them as they grow, they could be IO moth cats. The link will take you to Bugguide and a picture of a mature IO moth cat. http://bugguide.net/node/view/8559
Art
Two bits says you id'ed those cats, Art!
John
I do too John. This year I have a camera that will allow me to take pictures of this kind of phenomena when it happens. It was an unusual sight and it stuck in my mind.
Art