saddleback caterpillar

[Anne Kilmer]

butrfly at EPIX.NET wrote:
> 
> nina elshiekh wrote:
> >
> > I was looking through an eyewitness series book on moths and butterflies
> > and found a picture of a strange caterpillar that I'd seen last august
> > hanging out on my passionvine.  It was a saddleback and from the
> > description it was a full grown one.  The book noted that this is a more
> > tropical species, so i wonder if it is an uncommon site here in North
> > Carolina.  Is the passionvine it's host plant?
> >
> 
> Sibine stimulea, the saddleback, feeds on apple, cherry, pawpaw, oak, blueberry,
> corn,and rose.

 The larvas only an inch long at maturity. It can be found from
> MA to Fl and west to Missouri. The spines can be painful against the skin.
> 
> Rick Mikula

It's pretty undiscriminating. I stopped training my topiary willow when
the saddlebacks retaliated.  I don't know any tree they don't like.
Moths ain't necessarily choosy. 
	These, like the Io moth, are gorgeous caterpillars. But they do have
urticating hairs. Dab the spot with a piece of duct tape first ... then
use your soothing unguents. 
Anne Kilmer
South florida