I found this giant caterpillar this afternoon on the golf course. I looked it up and determined it is a:
Giant Leopard (Hypercompe scribonia)
Size: 5 cm
Hosts: broad-leafed plants, such as violet, honeysuckle, magnolia, lilac, and dandelion
Range: common throughout the eastern and southern USA, and from New England stretching down to northernmost Mexico
Identifying Features:
- thick black setae ringing each segment
- red bands between each segment
When disturbed, this species rolls into a ball and makes its sharp spines protrude from its body.
Note: Some caterpillars aren't actually "furry," like this one. What looks like thick black fur is actually a dense coat of sharp spines that can deal a painful poke if you squeeze the caterpillar too tightly. So take care to be extra gentle when handling these cats.
It will turn into this moth (below). I have never seen one of these before but it looks really pretty.
