Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1960-08-31
3 Fuzzy Fiends
Are Injurious


Nobody likes TO &c, Stung.
And in this day and time there
are more ways than one-litt-
orally and iiguratively.
DR.. David l.. Wray. entomol-
oSlSt with the North Carolina
Department of Agriculture,
points out a few Stings that
are literally painful. and with
September approaching "a few
OF the states poisonous insects
VIII DC around To (figurative-
ly) put the bite on folks.
Imagine. You are resting
comfortably in the easy chair on
the porch, patio or yard and
YOU see a gaily coloriul fluffy
ittIc caterpillar inching its
way along. Remembering your
childhood and your caterpillar
catching expeditions, you reach
over 10 touch and see If the
duWny fur is as soft as il
looks. Stop. Look, And listen
To DR.. Wray. North Carolina
mas four singing cattcrpillars
which II would pay to avoid.
nc says. He describes them and
their nciarlUuS habits as fol-
lows:
Three of them belong 10
the slug caterpillar family,
having almost lcglcSS bodies.
Dut all have SpincS. often hid
den In the tufts of hair which
appear soft To the touch.
The Saddlc-Back caterpil-
lar has markings from which
II gets its name. An inch and
"ne-half in length, it is brown
ISh IN color with large tufts of
mars and spineS on either end
and along the sides OF the body.
ON the back is a large green
pdtch on which is purpliSh-
Drown oval spot, the two mark
lngS together resembling a
saddle resting on a green sad
ole blanket.
But. interesting as il ap-
pears. don't be deceived. The
NcnomouS SpineS located in the
tuitS of hairs are capable OF
producing painful StingS when
me poison Is spread over the
SKIN on contact, causing lyarge
red whcals; and to some peo-
pie II can be quite serious. re-
SuItlng IN systemic disturb
anceS. Glands in the base of
the poison SpineS produce the
painful toxin.
! sting SStaS ado. o.. $500.
The Saddlc-Back is found
IN corn fields and on shruh.;
adj trees such as apple, pear.
cherry. oaks and others. In
early October the caterpillar
forms its cacoon in which TO
spend the winter. emerging as
an adult moth in the early
spring. laying eggs and start
ing thccyclc over again. Even
IN" cac"on has its dangers:
some of the singing Spincs are
woven into the pupal case.
. protrudIng from the surface
ana carrying enough poison to
protect the wintering insect.
Another member of the
singing caterpillar family is
the Spiny Oak Slug which is
around until late October be-
fore spinning its cocoon. Feed
ing on the leaves of oak, pear.
willow and other trees, it is
easily spotted by its bright
scarlet coloring. Four blue
black lines stripe its back from
which yellow appendages.
thickly SpinCd with many sting
hairs. protrudc. One and one
quarter inches long, the gaily
colOrcd caterpillar is another
To avoid. for its poisonous sting
is painful.
Smaller than the rest and
not so DANGEROUSLY arrayed, is
the one-inch-long Hag-Moth
caterpillar. Dark brown, il has
cight long twisted fleshy D.
pcndageS arising from the back
which are thickly covered with
hairs. On the appendages.
which resemble the disarranc-
cd locks of fairy book bag,
are the long black sting spines.
Like the others, contact with
the SpinCS results in painful
StingS. II, like the Saddlc-Back.
weaveS some of its spines into
the spherical shaped cacoon
for protection when it winters.
I'm most cases the Hag- Moth
caterpillar is found on the low