Wednesday, 6 May 2015

Creature 218: Isochaetes beutenmuelleri

A crystal caterpillar
Description:
Isochaetes beutenmuelleri is a moth which is commonly called the spun glass slug moth or the spun glass caterpillar in its juvenile phase.

As a caterpillar or a pupa it looks like it is made of glass. These caterpillars are poisonous stinging caterpillars,  so don't try to pick them up.



The adult looks pretty much like an ordinary brown moth, albeit quite a hairy one.


Distribution:
Isochaetes beutenmuelleri are found throughout most of the United States but are absent from the West.
Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Limacodidae
Genus: Isochaetes
Species: Isochaetes beutenmuelleri

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