Saddleback Caterpillar
The strange saddleback caterpillar—look but don’t touch!
Photo by L.A. Jackson
It’s a beautiful day in the garden—but, suddenly, "E-E-E-Y-O-W-W-W! I've been stung!"
So, what did it? A bee, hornet, wasp, fire ant, or something completely unexpected, such as—wait for it—a caterpillar?
Unknown to many South Carolina gardeners, there are butterfly and moth larvae that can inflict a painful—and sometimes even serious—sting to any unsuspecting person who might inadvertently brush against the hairs of one of these little beasties.
Unlike bees, fire ants, wasps and hornets that usually use their stingers in a deliberate, offensive manner, these caterpillars are docile creatures. It is the poisonous spines they have arrayed on their bodies that can cause problems for people.
Only when someone accidentally touches these caterpillars’ body hairs does a sting occur. Upon contact, the stiff, hollow hairs drip venom onto the offending arm or leg to ward off an “attack.” Most of these caterpillars’ stings are mild, but a person’s sensitivity to being stung is the key factor to the severity of the injury.
Although there are many common caterpillars that can sting—Io, buck and gypsy moth larvae quickly come to mind—it is the weirder-looking ones that concern me most because they do tempt curious gardeners closer to examine and even handle these “cuties.” In particular, “look, but don’t touch” definitely applies to these three:
Hag moth caterpillar. Slightly less than an inch long, it is certainly one of the oddest caterpillars with nine symmetrical pairs of strange, short, fuzzy appendages. Basically, this light brown larva looks more like a hairy leaf than a caterpillar. The hairs on this “leaf,” though, can inflict pain on anyone who comes into contact with them.
Saddleback caterpillar. The inch-long saddleback is light green with brown to purplish splotches on its stem and stern that is repeated on its middle by a similar-colored, saddle-shaped mark for which it is named. If you like weird, this is your kind of caterpillar, but the poisonous hairs circling its sides will ably prevent any intimate inspections.
Puss caterpillar. About an inch long, it is a pear-shaped oddity with a fuzzy covering of gray to brownish hairs. Underneath these hairs, though, are rows of venomous spines that pack a wicked punch. This little nasty has one of the worst stings around for a Lepidoptera larva. And the larger this caterpillar is, the more potent its sting.
July in the Garden
• Irrigating garden plants in the early morning will allow leaves to dry out quickly, lessening the chances of many foliar diseases getting a grip on your pride-and-joys.
• Herbs are usually at their harvesting best just before flowering when they contain the max in essential oils. Also, pick herbs while the day is young, before ol’ Sol has a chance to heat up plants and reduce the concentration of oils in the leaves.
• Enjoy a good drink after a day in the garden? Your insect-eating feathered friends do, too, so refill the birdbath at least once a week during the hot, hazy days of summer.
If necessary, prune French hydrangeas right after their pretty summer flowers fade.
Photo by L.A. Jackson
Tip of the month
French hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla var. macrophylla) should be in full show-off mode now. However, if your bushes are getting brutish in their allotted garden spaces, make time to prune them to manageable size right after their summer bloom show fizzles. The closely related “repeat blooming” hydrangeas can also be pruned after their first flush of blooms on old wood. Lacecap (H. macrophylla var. normalis) and oakleaf (H. quercifolia) hydrangeas can similarly be snipped to size right after flowering. Smooth (H. arborescens) and panicle (H. paniculata) hydrangeas flower on new wood, so they should be clipped back in late winter or early spring.
L.A. Jackson is the former editor of Carolina Gardener magazine. Contact him at lajackson1@gmail.com.