Monkey Slug (Moth Larva)

Found in deciduous forests and orchards, often on the undersides of leaves of trees like oak, birch, apple, hickory, and chestnut.

Herbivorous caterpillar; feeds on a variety of deciduous trees and shrubs, including cherry, apple, and various fruit trees.

Features arm-like hairy projections that can drop off to distract predators; mimics a dried leaf or a shed tarantula skin to avoid bird predation. It undergoes complete metamorphosis.

Risk: The hairs contain stinging spines that can cause a localized skin reaction, redness, and irritation in humans upon contact. Benefit: They are part of the natural forest ecosystem and food web, though rarely numerous enough to cause significant tree damage.