Hickory Tussock Moth

Also known as Hickory Tiger Moth, Hickory Halisidota

Hickory tussock moth caterpillars are conspicuous late-summer feeders, covered in dense white and black hair tufts with two pairs of long black sensory pencils near the head and tail. While adult moths are cryptically patterned in warm yellowish brown and silvery cream, the fuzzy larvae are famous for microscopic barbed setae that cause contact dermatitis in sensitive skin. Females lay clusters of eggs on the undersides of hardwood leaves, where early-instar caterpillars feed communally before dispersing across the forest canopy.