I was very excited this morning to find a mystery visitor on the Lady Banks Rose next my deck. I had never seen a caterpillar like this before!
American Dagger Moth Caterpillar
I knew from the fuzziness that it is most likely a moth, and a quick google search on “fuzzy yellow caterpillar” revealed that it is in fact an American Dagger Moth. Judging from its size, it is in the last instar. Judging by where I found it, it is on walkabout looking for a place to make its cocoon.
If it does make a cocoon, I’ll post more about it. In the north, this moth usually over-winters before eclosing, but here in the south sometimes they come out in the fall.