Slug Caterpillars!

I had the luckiest day!  Two Slug Caterpillars on one trail at the UT Arboretum!

Slug Caterpillars have to be one of the strangest-looking critters in the forest.  They are called "slug" due to their tiny front 6 legs, and on the rest of their body instead of having prolegs like most caterpillars, they have suction-like disks.  So they move SLOW, like slugs!

This one is called a Saddleback Caterpillar (Acharia stimulea).

Saddleback Caterpillar (Acharia stimulea)

 It looks like someone put a tiny green blanket on the back with a tinier saddle.  Note the hairs on the ends.  DO NOT TOUCH!  This caterpillar has one of the worst stings in the insect world. 

The other one I saw is the Skiff Moth Caterpillar (Prolimacodes badia).

Skiff Moth Caterpillar (Prolimacodes badia)

Yes, I promise this is a caterpillar.  Everyone I show this picture to thinks its a leaf at first.  Its camouflage is so good, it usually forages on the top of leaves.  The spots on the back vary through its range, so predators will not get used to one coloration.

The moths of these two caterpillars are unremarkable.  They are dark brown and are shaped just like a moth.  Its amazing how metamorphosis can change the bizarre to the unremarkable!