Kristen
There are several caterpillars that cause a rash or irritate skin but I do not know of any moths that cause a problem. The Tolype caterpillars are not known to irritate skin either.
Here is the list of caterpillars that irritate skin from Univ of Ky - http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef003.asp
These are such cool looking moths...look kind of like teddy bears to me :-)
Tolype moth by: Kristen
Are the hairs on Tolype moths dangerous?
Tolype moth caterpillar by: Moni
Roger
Glad we could help. If you find more interesting insects this year, we can help you Id them.
What a neat find!
Thank you Moni! by: Roger
Thanks for identifying this caterpillar. I had looked all over the web and could not find a match (that's a lot of mouse clicking!). I really appreciate your help and time in solving this "case"! :)
Tolype moth caterpillar by: Moni
Roger
What a cool caterpillar! It looks like you have one of the Tolype moth caterpillars. The moths of these caterpillars are as neat looking as the larva!
Larvae of T. velleda feed on leaves of hardwood trees, while larvae of several other Tolype species feed on conifers. I am not sure which Tolype you have as there is some variation in color.
Here are some photos of the genus Tolype caterpillars. Since you saw the worm in person you might be able to figure out which species, but it is one of the Tolype's. At this site you can click on adult or both and see what the moth looks like. The moths come to lights at night so perhaps you will see it this next summer.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/325/bgimage
I found the moth of Tolype velleda on my porch this past summer, but have not see the caterpillar yet.
I never saw this critter when we lived in Columbus, OH....Great find!
