White-marked Tussock Moth Larvae

Description:

The larvae are brightly colored, with tufts of hair-like setae. The head is bright red, the body has yellow or white stripes, with a black stripe along the middle of the back. There are bright red defensive glands on the hind end of the back. Four white toothbrush-like tufts stand out from the back, and there is a grey-brown hair pencil at the hind end.

Habitat:

The caterpillars may be found feeding on an extremely wide variety of trees, both deciduous and coniferous. This specimen was found after it dropped on me at an outdoor classroom at a charter school while volunteering in the afternoon under an Oak tree canopy.