Buff-tip moth caterpillar, Phalera bucephala
Buff-tip moth caterpillar, Phalera bucephala (submitted by NaturePlus user hawker)
The buff-tip moth caterpillar has a black and yellow chequered pattern, with dark hairs along its bottom edges. These hairs can cause skin irritation and rashes.
As gregarious eaters, they feed on a large variety of trees and shrubbery and can be quite destructive. It is quite common to find these caterpillars living in clusters around a webbed ‘tent.’
Typically they will pupate in late spring or early summer, and the adult moths, which disguise themselves as broken twigs, are active during the summer.
