Milkweed Tussock Caterpillar Feet - Euchaetes egle
Aren't its feet so cute?!
This caterpillar sported wild tufts of black, white, and orange hairs (setae), which are characteristic warning colors. As with monarch larvae, milkweed tussock moth caterpillars obtain cardiac glycosides from the milkweed that they feed on, and they continue to retain them as adults.
Habitat: Milkweed in a meadow
"Euchaetes egle" is a moth in the family Arctiidae. It is a common mid- through late-summer feeder on milkweeds and dogbane. Like most species in this family, it has chemical defenses it acquires from its host plants, in this case, cardiac glycosides. These are retained in adults and deter bats, and presumably other predators, from feeding on them. Adults indicate their unpalatability with clicks from their tymbal organs.
