Fuzzy and Cute, but Dangerous, too

During an class on insects yesterday, the kids spotted this fuzzy caterpillar. Looks kind of cute, huh? None of us could identify it, so after class and a quick Google search (fuzzy yellow caterpillar), we learned that this critter is the larval form of the American Dagger Moth. It likes to eat leaves from boxelders (where it is in the picture), maples, ashes, willows, birches, etc. - in other words, just about any deciduous tree. The moth is a mottled gray color - nothing too showy. The caterpillar is where its life is interesting - see those black hairs? Those contain a toxin. And if the caterpillar is handled roughly, the hairs break and release the toxin. Bad enough for a bird or woodland mammal, but it's obnoxious for humans, too. Yet another reason to follow the rule: Look with your eyes, not your hands