by Lydia Holley May 6, 2024
They are everywhere! Black caterpillars have been spotted in lawns, gardens, pathways, driveways, streets, and crossing the highways. While the rest of the country is focusing on the dual emergence this summer of the Northern Illinois Brood with the Great Southern Brood of cicadas, we in East Texas are experiencing a different kind of invasion.
Granted, the cicada invasion is interesting. The Northern Illinois Brood emerges every 17 years; the Great Southern Brood every 13. According to Ken Johnson, Horticulture Educator serving Calhoun, Cass, Greene, Morgan, and Scott Counties in Illinois, these two broods have not emerged together since 1803. That is the year the Louisiana Purchase was ratified. In addition, a few stragglers of the Mississippi Valley Brood may emerge early, though most of them will not come out until 2028.
However, there is no need for East Texans to worry (or celebrate, depending upon your perspective) since the two cicada broods will be seen from Illinois to Louisiana, but not many will come as far west as Texas.
Back to the caterpillars. Master Gardener Francesca Rich gave a presentation to members of the Henderson County Master Gardener Association after she took a specialist class on bugs. According to Rich, there are only two black fuzzy caterpillars commonly seen in Texas, neither of which are harmful. In fact, she held one during her presentation.
These dark woollybear caterpillars are either the saltmarsh caterpillar or the tiger moth caterpillar. Native throughout the United States, the saltmarsh caterpillar turns into a white moth with dark spots. It has five to seven instars, turning dark and hairy-looking as it matures. Its color ranges, so it can be either black, brown, or yellow
The garden tiger moth caterpillar has a black top and brown bottom. As a moth, it has a beautiful black and white pattern on its top wings, with bright orange underneath. It is also known as the great tiger mother caterpillar because its wingspan can reach over two inches.
Because these caterpillars are fuzzy, birds seem to prefer to let them mature to moths before eating, so while it may seem like there are a lot of caterpillars now, remember, they will feed the birds later on. They will also help pollinate plants, so though it may seem like an invasion, they are welcome additions to most people’s gardens. When you begin noticing moths, they are just as fascinating as butterflies. if either of these caterpillars are eating your vegetables, try hand picking them off or putting up a barrier they can not climb. Insecticides are usually not recommended nor necessary.
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