"Porcupine" Catepillar...What Species?

[Liz Day]

> 	We live in the Texas Hill Country in Kendall County.  My
> daughter found a large black "porcupine" like catepillar,
> approximately 2 inches in length and when it curls up you can see
> orangish-red bands on it.


Sounds like Leopard moth, related to wooly bears.  Ecpantheria scribonia

according to the Peterson First Guide to Caterpillars, which your kids
will love and is only like $5.  They go through winter as caterpillars,
but I don't know if you have winter there or not.

Liz Day   
LDAY at iquest.net 
www.iquest.net/~lday
Indianapolis, Indiana, central USA - 40 N latitude, zone 5b.

Home of Tweeter-Boinger, fearless warrior parakeet, the beautiful 
Pink Inchworm, and the sacred Clivia plants.