Azalea caterpillars can resemble a few other types of caterpillars, but their unique color pattern helps set them apart. They are often mistaken for tent caterpillars or fall webworms, which also have striped bodies and feed in groups. However, azalea caterpillars are distinguished by their bright red heads, black bodies, and yellow or white stripes. In contrast, tent caterpillars usually have a blue or white stripe down their backs, and fall webworms build web nests on trees, which azalea caterpillars do not.