Most stinging caterpillars are identified by spine or fine hairs covering their body. Other types of crawling bugs may have more. You can tell these apart because caterpillars have a maximum of 5 pairs of prolegs. Some other insect larvae can look similar to moth or butterfly larvae. To identify caterpillars, it is important to take note of their size, color, type of bristles or spines, and habitat. Although not all species of caterpillars are venomous, they can do tremendous damage to plant foliage. After hatching from eggs, caterpillars are ravenous eaters and mainly consume plant and tree leaves. Before picking up any kind of caterpillar, it is important to identify the species to know if it is harmless or not.Īll caterpillars are larvae that belong to the order of moths and butterflies called Lepidoptera in the class of Insecta. Handling one of these dangerous caterpillars could leave you with a nasty sting similar to a bee’s sting. Caterpillars that are toxic and sting are generally hairy or have spikes on their bodies.

While most types of caterpillars are harmless, there are some species of stinging caterpillars. Email Pinterest Facebook Twitter Linkedin

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