You’ve probably seen one at some point–a black spiky caterpillar with red stripes. Those fuzzy little creatures can be quite intimidating if you don’t know much about them. You have probably stayed away because you were worried about these fuzzy creatures being poisonous.
Worry no more–the giant leopard moth caterpillar is just looking for a quiet space to get ready to turn into a beautiful white moth with black circular designs, creating a leopard-like pattern. This type of caterpillar is both harmless and beautiful to look at, which makes them a welcome visitor to your outdoor spaces.
Caterpillars come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. But some of the most eye-catching ones are those with vivid black and red markings. These black and red caterpillars stand out against green leaves and brown tree bark. Their contrasting colors serve as a warning to predators that they may be toxic or taste bad. Let’s explore some of the most common and beautiful black and red caterpillars found in nature.
Giant Woolly Bear
The giant woolly bear caterpillar (Hypercompe scribonia) is a fuzzy black species with red-orange bands around its body segments. These caterpillars can reach up to 3 inches long when fully grown. Their long black bristles give them a hairy appearance, which is part of their defense against predators. Giant woolly bears are found throughout the eastern United States and Canada. They feed on a variety of plants like dandelions, cabbage, and even citrus.
Azalea Caterpillar
As the name suggests, the azalea caterpillar (Datana major) feeds on azaleas and other flowers Its early stages are reddish-brown and yellow, but in later instars it develops dramatic black stripes on a yellow background. The azalea caterpillar’s red legs and underside are particularly vivid Its range extends across eastern North America. These caterpillars sometimes require management in gardens where they devour ornamental flowers.
Cabbage Tree Emperor
A giant of the caterpillar world, the cabbage tree emperor (Bunaea alcinoe) can reach 2.8 inches long. It has a mostly black body with red segments and fierce-looking black and white tubercles running along its back. This huge caterpillar feeds on a variety of trees and shrubs, including orchid trees. It lives in India, Southeast Asia, and parts of Australia.
Pipevine Swallowtail
The pipevine swallowtail caterpillar (Battus philenor) feeds exclusively on pipevine plants. It has a black body covered in red and black tubercles. Pipevine caterpillars in warmer southern climates tend toward solid red bodies. Females lay their eggs on the pipevine plant so the hatching caterpillars can safely eat its toxic leaves, which provides them protection from predators.
Mourning Cloak
With its black body and vivid red spots, the mourning cloak caterpillar (Nymphalis antiopa) uses aposematic coloring to warn potential predators that it’s toxic. In addition to the red markings, it has menacing black spines running along its body. As its name indicates, the adult mourning cloak butterfly has primarily black wings with tan and blue markings. This species has a wide distribution across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Indian Lily
Native to India and parts of Southeast Asia, the Indian lily caterpillar (Polytela gloriosae) feeds on plants in the lily family. It has striking black and red markings that change as it progresses through instars. Early on it has black, red-brown, and white spots, but later becomes mostly black with red dorsal markings. This aposematic coloring helps keep it safe from birds and other predators.
Tropical Fritillary
There are multiple variations of the tropical fritillary caterpillar (Argynnis hyperbius), but many have black bodies with red or orange stripes and spines. It feeds on plants like violets as well as some tree and shrub species. Tropical fritillary caterpillars can be found in parts of Asia and Australia. Their contrasting colors warn potential predators that they don’t make for an easy meal.
The beauty of these black and red caterpillars belies the fact that they’re often equipped with chemical defenses to help them survive. Their bright aposematic coloration warns predators of their toxicity. So while they may be gorgeous to look at, it’s best not to touch these little crawlers. Appreciating their vibrant patterns is safest done from a distance!
How To Attract Caterpillars To Your Yard
Having caterpillars, moths and butterflies in your garden or yard adds life and a sense of calm, just as having a variety of birds around can. Caterpillars, moths and butterflies are an important part of our ecosystem, providing food for a variety of other creatures, like bats and birds, and they help pollinate flowers by drinking their nectar and promoting seed production.
Caterpillars, moths and butterflies are as important as bees in helping determine the health of your yard’s ecosystem. They are sensitive to changes in their environment, so monitoring how many you have can be an important guide to where you need to adjust your fertilizer, lawn or garden food and weed control.
If you’re interested in attracting the giant leopard moth caterpillar to your yard, here are some of the best plants:
- Angel trumpet
- Basil
- Bougainvillea
- Brassica
- Cabbage
- Citrus
- Empress tree
- Honeysuckles
- Lettuce
- Lilacs
- Magnolia
- Mulberry tree
- Sunflowers
- Willows
Are Fuzzy Caterpillars Poisonous?
Hairless caterpillars are harmless, and most of the fuzzy caterpillars are harmless as well, just like the giant leopard moth caterpillar. Looks can be quite deceiving, however. Even those species that look like they would be poisonous are not necessarily; for instance, the tomato hornworm and the hickory horned devil are not.
The most common poisonous caterpillar is the saddle-back. This caterpillar is bright green with a circular brown patch in the center of its back with stiff white bristles on either end of the body. The puss caterpillar is also poisonous. It is covered in soft brown fur and is about the size of a quarter. The bristles can leave you with a burning sensation and cause immediate swelling where it touched you.
Other poisonous caterpillars include the bag caterpillar, cinnabar moth caterpillar, the appropriately-named stinging rose caterpillar and the monarch caterpillar. This is by no means an exhaustive list, so if you’re concerned about whether a caterpillar is poisonous, your best bet is to avoid it.
Through a process of metamorphosis, the Eyed Tiger Moth Caterpillar transforms into the Giant Leopard Moth! Since caterpillars, like humans, are diurnal, we often see these creatures more than we see the moths they become. The nocturnal giant leopard moth has a wingspan that’s around three inches and distinctive black circles on its wings. These moths have a bluish-black hue with some orange areas. You might notice an adult leopard (or tiger) moth near your porch light during the early summer months, up until fall. When a predator is nearby, giant leopard moths “play dead” by curling up to show their brightly-colored abdomen. One interesting part of the moth’s biology is that it has ears to protect itself against hunting bats.
How Caterpillars Turn Into Butterflies
FAQ
What kind of caterpillar is red and black?
Red and Black Caterpillar – Pyrrharctia isabella – BugGuide.Net. The caterpillars are plentiful this time of year.
What does the woolly bear caterpillar symbolize?
According to weather folklore, the more black on a Woolly Bear Caterpillar, it means a longer, colder and possibly snowier winter. If there’s more brown in the middle, that’s a sign of a mild winter.
Is it okay to touch woolly bear caterpillars?
Although some caterpillars have stinging hairs which can be quite painful to the touch, woolly bears are safe to touch.
What is the Old Wives tale about caterpillars?
While black on both ends, the midsection of the caterpillar is reddish-brown. If the reddish-brown section of the caterpillar is narrow, the winter will be harsh, whereas if it is wide, the winter will be mild.
Do caterpillars grow black and red?
Moths and butterflies of the world are often seen in black and red colors. These may be the main colors of caterpillars throughout their growth stages or they may only be the contrasting colors they grow into their late growth stages. Black and red caterpillars are often found in North America. They can even grow black and red hairs or spines.
What colors can striped caterpillars be?
Striped caterpillars can be green with black and yellow stripes, black or green with white or yellow bands, or black with orange stripes and dots. In order to identify striped caterpillars, it’s important to note their color, type of hairy covering, and specific markings.
What do some black caterpillars have?
Some species of caterpillars are black and fuzzy with hair-like spines. Other common black caterpillars have vibrant orange or yellow markings.
Where are Black-dotted Brown Caterpillars found?
Black-dotted Brown Caterpillars are found in Southern and Southeastern US territories. These large caterpillars (Cissusa spadix) have a gray-to-black body color with longitudinal black stripes. A blackhead is also specific to the species.
What are some types of fuzzy, black caterpillars?
One of the most unusual types of black caterpillars is the Woolly Bear caterpillar (Pyrrharctia isabella). This caterpillar is fuzzy, black, and brown with short, spiky tufts of hairs for protection. It is commonly seen in late summer.
Which caterpillar has a red color?
The Faithful Beauty Caterpillar (Composia fidelissima) is one of the most representative red caterpillars of North America. This species is almost completely red with some red coloring also being seen on the diurnal adult moth. Caterpillars of the Faithful Beauty family are known for having a red or rusty-red color.