Acronicta americana                                     Photo Bill Chitty ©

Dagger moth caterpillars are covered with bright yellow or white hollow ‘hairs’. Younger caterpillars are bright yellow, as they get older they turn paler yellow or white like the one in the photo above. They have conspicuous looking paired tufts of black ‘hairs’ on their back.

Though they look like little wooly sheep, these caterpillars should not be handled as the hollow ‘hairs’ break off and release a toxin that can produce a painful rash.

The adult dagger moth is a small inconspicuous grey-brown moth with dark markings.

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