Saddleback Caterpillar

Found in deciduous forests, gardens, and orchards throughout the eastern United States, often on the leaves of varied deciduous trees and shrubs.

Broadly polyphagous caterpillars that feed on a wide variety of plants including maple, oak, apple, elm, corn, and Hibiscus.

The caterpillar is the larval stage of a small brown moth. It uses defensive camouflage (the saddle pattern) and has fleshy horns covered in stinging spines to deter predators. They are relatively slow-moving and spend most of their time feeding on the undersides of leaves.

The primary risk is the potent sting from its urticating spines, which can cause severe pain, swelling, and physical skin reactions in humans. Ecologically, they serve as a food source for parasitoid wasps and help manage plant growth through grazing.