Thanks so much for identification and additional information.
I'm also glad for the link to the bug guide site. It will come in very handy!
Imperial moth caterpillar by: Moni
S Smith
Your photo is of the Imperial moth caterpillar.
These are found in eastern US, Ontario and Quebec.
This is one of the silkmoth (Saturniidae family) caterpillars...most get very large ... rather spectacular in color and size! There are two color forms of caterpillars the green ones and the orangish brown ones.
This caterpillar feeds on leaves of bald cypress, basswood, birch, cedar, elm, hickory, honeylocust, maple, oak, pine, sassafras, sweetgum, sycamore, and walnut.
It s interesting to note that adults emerge before sunrise and mate after midnight the next day. Adult moths do not feed. Moths do come to lights at night.
Here are photos of the moth and other stages -
http://bugguide.net/node/view/4757/bgimage
