Subject: Black Caterpillar! What is it?

From: Kathy
Date: 28 Feb 1995 22:14:10 GMT

Hi.
Hi. My garden is overrun with black fuzzy caterpillars. They are different  
sizes from .5 inch up to 1.5 inches long with long black hairs that have a  
reddish tinge closer to the body and curl up when picked up. They are  
eating all of my  sorrel and my black seeded simpson lettuce!  What type  
of caterpillar is this? and what will it turn into?  I hope this  
description is sufficient. I am NOT an expert on any type of bug and do  
not know the appropriate terms! :-)

Thanks,

Kathy

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From: [email-masked] (Samuel Sun)
Date: 2 Mar 1995 01:18:56 GMT

> not know the appropriate terms! :-)
I think your address is at USC, or in the So. Cal area?  There are tiger
moth caterpillars (also known as woolly bears) in our area that match your
description.  Their hairs are pretty evenly spread over their entire body,
and stick out in small tufts from reddish bumps on the body (if you look at
one close), their feet are reddish...  I'm describing them from memory, so
may not have all the details correct.  At any rate, I've tried to raise
these without much success, but they will eventually turn into tiger moths.

Sam Sun