A Banded Tussock Moth caterpillar for Mellow Yellow Monday

 This fuzzy yellow caterpillar with black spikey hairs is a Banded Tussock caterpillar found on an arm of a lawn chair on my back deck.

This is the second Tussock caterpillar I have seen within a week. The white caterpillar shown above is a Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar.  You can notice a similarity between these two caterpillars as they both have black upright spikey hairs. I have read that this white caterpillar can be quite toxic and you should not touch it or pick it up. Some people have experience quite a severe allargic reaction from handling these caterpillars. I never touch a caterpillar but if for some reason I want to pick one up I always use a leaf or a small stick or twig for the caterpillar to rest upon.  Better safe than sorry so it is a good rule to be wary when encountering some of nature's unknown creastures.
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