Hickory Tussock Caterpillar
by Sharon Duguay
Title
Hickory Tussock Caterpillar
Artist
Sharon Duguay
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
You might be itching to pick up that fluffy-looking grayish-white caterpillar but beware, you could be itching if you do.
The hairs of the Hickory Tussock caterpillar, which has black tufts on its back and black spikes, can cause an allergic reaction or rash for some people who make contact with the insect. The caterpillars are being seen in abundance pretty much throughout the state, but more so in the northern part of the state, according to Charlene Donahue, forest entomologist with the Department of Conservation.
“There’s more of them than normal,” which was anticipated because of the high numbers of the Hickory Tussock moths observed earlier this year, Donahue said Tuesday. Donahue said her department conducts moth catches across the state and the number of Hickory Tussock moths caught was quite high.
Residents, too, have found the insect more abundant based on the number of reports Donahue’s office has received inquiring about the caterpillar. “They are native to Maine and they do show up in numbers every now and then and this is one of those years,”
Uploaded
March 10th, 2015
Statistics
Viewed 1,223 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/25/2024 at 12:17 AM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet
Similar Images
Comments (36)
Recently Viewed
