Rose, sassafras, alder, and spirea are among their favorite hosts. The Hackberry leaf slug grows to about an inch long and has six small tufts of hair on each segment. Its body is off-white with a large purple patch on the back. Hackberry leaves are its preferred food. They are a beautiful pale green color with white and red stripes on the sides.
Short spines radiate from numerous tubercles on the back.
These larvae feed on alder, ash, birch, cherry, elm, locust, oak, sassafras, and other deciduous trees and herbaceous plants. They are not uncommon in corn fields. The buck moth caterpillar is unusual in this group since it is found in the early summer, principally in June. It is often confused with spiny elm caterpillars and gypsy moth caterpillars which also are active at that time. Buck moth caterpillars grow up to two inches long.