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Hemileuca peigleri
This caterpillar was about 2 inches in length. The base color of its body appeared black with some yellowish speckling. It had bristles that looked yellow at the base with longer extensions that were black. The head was reddish brown in color.
We found many of these in and around the oak trees on our campus. Natural habitat is: Oak-covered trees Resource: https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/spec...
We have been spotting these for some time for the last few weeks. We usually see many gathered in small groups and have to be careful not to step on them. I did a lot of research trying to identify these caterpillars, but had no luck. I finally posted my pictures on Bugguide.net, and within hours I had an i.d. Fun facts: Adult males fly near the ground, while females fly 10-20 feet within oak trees. These caterpillars lay their eggs in rings around twigs. They eat in groups (which explains what we've seen on our campus). Adults do not eat Ref: https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/spec... https://bugguide.net/node/view/1655393
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