Puss Caterpillar

The puss caterpillar is the larval stage of the southern flannel moth and is often described as looking more like a tiny wisp of cat or dog fur than an insect, thanks to its extremely dense covering of long, silky hairs. This soft appearance is deceptive, as hidden beneath the fur are rows of spines connected to specialized cells, making it one of the more heavily defended caterpillars found in North America.

Found primarily in the southern and eastern United States, puss caterpillars feed on a variety of deciduous trees and shrubs and are most commonly noticed in late summer and fall when populations peak. Despite their hidden armament, they are a normal, if striking, part of the native caterpillar fauna and an important prey item for birds and parasitoid insects adapted to handle them.

• Densely covered in long, silky hairs giving a fuzzy, fur-like appearance
• Coloration ranges from grayish-tan to reddish-brown or golden, often with a slightly raised ridge of longer hair down the back
• Teardrop or oval body shape, wider at the front, tapering toward the rear
• Spines are hidden beneath the outer hair and not visible without close inspection
• Adults reach roughly 2.5-3.5 cm in length
• Distinguished from other hairy caterpillars by its unusually soft, uniform, toupee-like coat

Found throughout the southern and eastern United States, from Texas and Florida north to New Jersey and west to Missouri, puss caterpillars feed on the foliage of oak, elm, hackberry, citrus, and various other deciduous trees and shrubs. They are most abundant in late summer and fall, with a smaller population sometimes appearing in late spring in warmer parts of their range.

Puss caterpillars are solitary feeders on tree and shrub foliage, relying almost entirely on their hidden spines for defense rather than active avoidance, often remaining still on leaves or bark where their fur-like camouflage can also make them easy to overlook. As with other flannel moth caterpillars, they represent a minor component of the leaf-feeding insect community and serve as prey for birds and specialized parasitoid wasps that can tolerate or bypass their defenses.

Female moths lay eggs in small groups on host plant leaves or bark, and the caterpillars feed and grow through several instars over a period of weeks, often reaching peak abundance in fall. Mature larvae spin a tough, oval cocoon, frequently attached to bark or plant debris, within which they can overwinter before pupating and emerging as adult flannel moths. In the warmer southern parts of its range, the species may produce two generations per year.