Stinging Rose Caterpillar

The stinging rose caterpillar is one of the most colorful members of the slug caterpillar family, sporting vivid stripes of yellow, orange, and purplish-red arranged along its compact, flattened body. Despite the pretty name suggesting a link only to roses, this species feeds on a variety of woody garden and forest plants, including dogwood, oak, and maple, in addition to rose bushes.

Like its close relatives in the slug caterpillar family, it moves with a smooth, gliding crawl and is armed with tufted spine clusters used purely in defense against predators and disturbance.

• Compact, oval, slightly flattened body typical of slug caterpillars
• Bold longitudinal stripes in combinations of yellow, orange, and deep purple or maroon run the length of the body
• Four prominent tufted clusters of branching spines sit near the front and rear of the body, with smaller spine clusters along the sides
• Head and legs are hidden beneath the body
• Moves with a smooth, gliding motion rather than a typical crawl
• Similar to the spiny oak-slug caterpillar but generally more vividly striped and with more pronounced spine tufts

This species is found throughout much of the eastern and southeastern United States, in gardens, woodland edges, and mixed forests. Caterpillars appear from summer into early fall, feeding on the leaves of rose, dogwood, oak, maple, and several other woody plants.

The caterpillar feeds on the foliage of a range of woody shrubs and trees, occasionally drawing attention as a minor pest on ornamental roses and landscape plants. Its tufted clusters of branching spines carry hairs that can sting in defense if the caterpillar is brushed against, serving as a deterrent to birds and other predators. As with other slug caterpillars, its reduced prolegs give it a distinctive smooth gliding movement across leaf surfaces.

Females lay flat, pale eggs in small clusters on host plant leaves. Larvae hatch and pass through several instars over the summer, developing their bright striped pattern and spine tufts as they grow. The mature caterpillar spins a tough, rounded brown cocoon, typically attached to bark or another sheltered surface, where it overwinters. It emerges as an adult moth the following season, usually producing one generation per year across most of its range.