Photo by H. A. Turney. Photo by Drees. Photo by Drees.
Caterpillars are reddish brown to black with white markings and long white hairs.
Larvae characteristically arch their heads and tails in a defensive posture when disturbed. They have a prominent projection on the first abdominal segment and feed together. The female moth deposits about 300 eggs on the underside of a leaf. When they finish feeding, they drop to the ground and pupate in the soil. They do not spin a cocoon but form a naked pupal case.