If you’ve been watching your step, there’s a good chance you may have spotted some fuzzy black caterpillars inching their way across roads, sidewalks or yards over the past several weeks.
Woollybear caterpillars are common across the U.S. and include several species of caterpillars that transform into tiger moths. Texans may have particularly noticed saltmarsh caterpillars, Estigmene acrea, one species found throughout the state.
But, before they can transform into tiger moths, these caterpillars must make haste to find suitable locations to overwinter as mature larvae, said Wizzie Brown, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service integrated pest management specialist. And they’re likely to capture plenty of attention on their way as their population reaches its height for the year.
Together, the seasonal population peak and mass movement have created a “weatherman” mystique around these caterpillars, much like the famous Punxsutawney groundhog. Unfortunately, they don’t actually predict how harsh winter will be.
Still, their movement and soft, fuzzy appearance might tempt anyone looking downward, especially children, to pick them up.
Here, Brown answers common questions about these insects and explains whether their presence should be a cause for concern.
Texas is home to an impressive diversity of caterpillar species. With its warm climate and abundance of host plants, the Lone Star State provides prime habitat for a variety of native and migratory caterpillar species From fuzzy to spiky, plain to brightly-colored, caterpillars of all shapes and sizes can be found munching on vegetation across Texas
Understanding caterpillar identification and biology can be useful for gardeners, naturalists, and anyone curious about the larval life stages of moths and butterflies. This guide covers some of the most common caterpillars found in Texas, how to identify them, their host plants, and fun facts about their natural history in the state.
Major Caterpillar Groups in Texas
Several main groups make up the most prevalent caterpillars in Texas
Sphinx Moths
Sphinx moth caterpillars, also called hornworms, are large, plump larvae with a distinctive horn on their rear end. Common Texas species include the tobacco hornworm, tomato hornworm, Catalpa sphinx, wild cherry sphinx, and more. They feed on leaves of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants.
Swallowtail Butterflies
Swallowtail caterpillars are some of the most striking, often with vivid green colors and stripes or interesting projections. Species in Texas include the black, eastern tiger, giant, spicebush, and pipevine swallowtails. Their host plants include citrus, spicebush, Dutchman’s pipe, and others.
Silkmoths
Silkmoth caterpillars are very large, smooth, and cylindrical, with species like the cecropia, polyphemus, imperial, and io moths. They feed on leaves of various trees before spinning their silken cocoons.
Brushfooted Butterflies
Diverse species like monarchs, queens, buckeyes, tortoiseshells, admirals, and painted ladies make up this very common group. Their caterpillars use plants in the aster, snapdragon, and legume families as hosts.
Skippers
Skipper caterpillars are small, smooth, tapered larvae that feed inside rolled leaves of grasses and other monocots. Texas species include cloudy-winged, fiery, and long-tailed skippers.
Common Caterpillars in Texas
Some of the most frequently encountered caterpillars in the state include:
- Monarch: Striking black, white, and yellow stripes; milkweed host
- Gulf fritillary: Spiny orange; passionflower vine host
- Pipevine swallowtail: Red spots, brown body; pipevine host
- Eastern tiger swallowtail: Green with eyespots; woody hosts like wild cherry, ash
- Buck moth: Thick tawny spines in clusters; oak host
- Io moth: Thick branched spines; wide variety of woody hosts
- Fall webworm: Hairy red and yellow; webs around branches of many trees
- Woolly bear: Fuzzy black and orange; herbaceous hosts like asters
- Tent caterpillar: White to blue lines, hairy; forms tents in branches of cherry, ash, etc.
- Tomato hornworm: Large green with white V-shape on side; tomato host
- Yellowstriped armyworm: Green with yellow stripe; lawns, pastures, crops
Identifying Caterpillars in Texas
Several features are useful for caterpillar identification:
- Coloration: Stripes, spots, overall color
- Body shape and size: Plump, thin, smooth, lumpy, spikes/projections
- Legs: Presence and number of prolegs
- Head capsule: Color, shape, texture
- Movement: Inchworm, gliding, wiggling
Host plant is also a critical clue, as most caterpillars are specialized to feed on particular plant species.
Field guides, websites, and apps like iNaturalist can help confirm caterpillar IDs based on location, host plant, and visual features. Re-observing caterpillars over time is also helpful since their appearance changes as they develop through progressive instars.
Caterpillar Food Plants in Texas
Caterpillars feed on a diverse range of plant species across Texas. Some key native caterpillar host plants in the state include:
- Oaks: Live, post, Emory, bur, white shin
- Pecan: Favored by sphinx moths, giant swallowtails
- Passionflower vines: Gulf fritillary, zebra longwing
- Pipevine: Pipevine swallowtail
- Milkweeds: Monarch butterfly
- Parsley and dill: Black swallowtail
- Vanilla leaf: Long-tailed skipper
- Native asters: Painted lady, pearl crescentskipper
- Cherry, hackberry, ash: Tiger swallowtails, tent caterpillars
Providing a mix of these native Texas trees, shrubs, and flowering plants in gardens and landscapes can help support a diversity of caterpillars.
Unique Caterpillars in Texas
Some of the most unique and eye-catching caterpillars found in the state include:
- Io moth: Unmistakable with its spiky, branched orange spines
- Madagascar giant swallowtail: Lime green with red horns; tropical stray
- Saddleback caterpillar: Green “saddle” and brown body with spines
- Spicebush swallowtail: Green with huge fake eyespots
- Hickory horned devil: Enormous size, blue-green with black horns
- Orion cecropian: Brilliant orange and black spikes and knobs
These less common species exemplify the remarkable diversity and adaptations of caterpillar life in Texas. From camouflage to warning colors, fascinating behaviors and survival strategies are on display.
Observing and identifying local caterpillars leads to a greater appreciation of these important yet often overlooked life stages of Lepidoptera. As the core of the food chain for many birds and beneficial insects, caterpillars are also essential to balancing healthy ecosystems in Texas and beyond.
Bring Back The Natives
What Are Woollybear Caterpillars?
Woollybear is a term used for several species of caterpillars that are densely covered in hair, or setae. Two common species of woollybear caterpillars found in Texas are the saltmarsh caterpillar and the garden tiger moth caterpillar. The saltmarsh caterpillar ranges in color from black to brown to yellowish, while the garden tiger moth caterpillar has a fuzzy black top and brown bottom.
Both caterpillars are present throughout the year but more prevalent in the fall. They can reach high numbers at that point, and then they start to wander around, looking for places to overwinter. You may see them cross roads or sidewalks, where they tend to be more visible.
Saltmarsh caterpillars got their name from a type of grass they eat, but, like the garden tiger moth caterpillar, they have a huge range. From late summer to fall, the weeds they normally feed on start to die off, so they move into areas that are maintained or irrigated.
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FAQ
How do I find out what kind of caterpillar I have?
Look for distinct physical features if the caterpillar has any. Check to see if the caterpillar has a curled tail, head horns, knobs, lashes, spines, or a split tail. These can all be good indicators for certain caterpillar species and will help you narrow down your search rather quickly.
Can I touch salt marsh caterpillars?
After tons of digging, I believe they are Salt Marsh Moth Caterpillars, they are non venomous and can be handled as pets, BUT do NOT touch any more Caterpillars in the future unless you know what they are, some Caterpillars can leave you in pain for not just hours, days or weeks, but YEARS.
What is the biggest caterpillar in Texas?
The hickory horned devil is the largest caterpillar that occurs in East Texas and looks like a small dragon. For some people who come across it unexpectedly, it can be very intimidating. The hickory horned devil is the larva of the regal moth.
What is the stinging Texas caterpillar?
Stinging caterpillars include the Io moth caterpillar, the buck moth caterpillar, the saddleback caterpillar, and the asp or puss caterpillar. Buck moth caterpillars are brownish-black, but can also be lighter in color.