Caution: these contain a toxin which can be a skin irritant . Don’t handle them.
Joni, our border collie dog, like so many young animals has an overactive curiosity about every creature that she meets in her environment. The squirrels chattering shrilly while dancing above her on tree branches and the chipmunks, lodged silently inside drainpipes for hours patiently waiting for her to tire of the game feed her obsession, giving her hours of noisy entertainment. She will jump around snapping at bees that are buzzing among the flowers on our low bushes, so far with no ill effects to either or her the bees. (She must have a really bad aim.) She will jostle with me for elbow room when I am trying to photograph some small insect or other, edging in to get a closer look at it herself and often spoiling the photograph by making a leap for it as the shutter clicks.
The other day, however, she met this creature that moved at a more leisurely pace and didn’t seem to mind her incessant barking that alerted me to its presence. In spite of Joni, I managed to catch this photograph of it as it moved towards me. I loved its wonderful orange furry body and those great long dark tufts. It makes me think of Dougal the dog from “The Magic Roundabout”. It is an American dagger moth caterpillar.
‘Joni the Border Collie’ collection where you can read about her is here: .
More info can be found here: http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Acronicta-
+James Listig apparently the setae contain a toxin which can be a skin irritant. So you could say that they are poisonous.
Are you sure it's posion because usually it has too be colorful
+Duke Everhart thanks for that first hand experience, Duke. I wouldn't have touched it, but now will amend the post to say that.
Many years ago a girlfriend and myself handled a blonde colored caterpillar with similar looking tufts of blonde hair. Moments later our heats started racing and we both experienced partial peripheral numbness which lasted for about and hour. So…beware of picking up these cute little fuzz balls.
+Rebecca Tyler you are so right. I have zero tolerance for such on my posts and delete the comments and block (and sometimes report) those who use them. It's not often, I'm glad to say. Such places as Youtube are horrible for that.
No problem I did think it was rude that word was there and I don't know why
people use those words when there so many more beautiful ones in the
English language.
+Rebecca Tyler sorry, it was me who blocked the person who made a rude comment. I thought that was what you were exclaiming about above.
What in the world are you talking about who did I block?
+soo in lee thanks!
nice seriously nice
+Rebecca Tyler reported him, blocked him and deleted the comment. Some people. Honestly.
+Ann Marie Jones Interesting, aren't they?
+Linda Chrysanthou thanks!
WHAT?!?
Bitch
Saw one of those a few days ago
Sweet
+Rebecca Tyler – aren't they gorgeous? But I think an irritant to the skin, with those hairs, so best just watched, not picked up. 😀
I thought it did, exactly, +Ursula Klepper 😀
+Krzysztof Felczak and +Artist , photographer , amateur or professional thank you so much for your comment and reshare!
+Dylan Johnson this one apparently has hairs that can irritate, perhaps that means poisonous? I'm glad I never touched him, nor did Joni get her nose on him.
I love those little things, I always had a bug in my hand of some kind when I was a kid.
Haha! this really looks like a little crazy dog!! :o))
Beautiful image! +Ellie Kennard
Thank you for sharing your work with #artistphotographeramateurorprofessional +Artist , photographer , amateur or professional by
+jany viala + Krzysztof Felczak +Chauvin Gene and +Dorma Wiggin
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Please comment & +1 on the original post ! You can, please +1, here for selecting +A.P.A.P.Grand talent Thank you! Krzysztof
Great shot! I always liked to play with those furry little things up north, but down here most fuzzy caterpillars are poisonous to the touch :/
Thanks a lot +Donna McClure
An interesting creature when seen up close. Thanks +Ellie Kennard
+Sunny Wu thank you!
Thanks +Leonardo Hervacio Arenas
NICE
Cute!
Thanks Linda, he was pretty striking. I hope you didn't drive over him when you were at the house 😉
+Linda Jess
Great photo Ellie. Love the great color in the little fellow.
That looks different!!
+Ellie Kennard a stroke from me for your precious Joni!
thanks dear Ellie for your lovely response
+Naturpunkt by Gina M. Thanks so much, Gina. I'm glad you enjoyed the wanderings here in the Wildlife one and through the Joni collection.
Greetings to you, have a wonderful week.
Thanks very much, Stephen. You need your own canine assistant… But maybe not, not if you want to get your photos! She is a great companion, though, that's good sure. +Stephen Thackeray
+Childa Santrucek 😂 I'm glad you saw Dougal too, Childa. Thanks a lot.
+Shawn McClure thanks so much for that info. I found a link for it now that I know and have edited the post with the name and added the link.
+Bette Kauffman about 2 inches, Bette.
What a lovely and interesting story to the great picture!
+Ellie Kennard so i landed also on your page of Joni! i am really touched and enjoyed all a lot. Much happiness to you all!greetings from Austria
~Gina
Joni sounds like a wonderful friend and companion Ellie. When I'm out and about macro shooting, I often attract great interest from the dogs of passing dog walkers. They always seem to want to bark at me :-). Great shot of Dougal too!!
Oh yes, definitely Dougal :-)) lovely story and great shot Ellie!
It's an American Dagger Moth Caterpillar ( Acronicta americana ) 🙂
Caterpillar size?
Thanks a lot, +Sumit Sen it was
Looks lovely! 🙂