Another unusual-looking caterpillar is the elephant hawk moth caterpillar ( Deilephila elpenor). The name for this brown-colored caterpillar comes from its resemblance to an elephant’s trunk. Even though this caterpillar is called ‘woolly,’ it doesn’t have a soft touch to it. Its bristles have a spiky feel and may cause some skin irritation if handled too much. To identify caterpillars, it is important to take note of their size, color, type of hairy covering, and specific markings such as stripes, spots or ‘horns’. Most stinging caterpillars are identified by spine or fine hairs covering their body. Some types of furry caterpillars also look deceiving. For example, some woolly caterpillars look like soft fluffy worms. However, their bristles are a defense mechanism and it can be spiky and painful. For the final link, which should feature a loop that is “facing forward” (as opposed to lying flat), your kids will color in and cut out a caterpillar face and paste it onto the link. 6. Caterpillar Bookmarks

The Six-spot Burnet ( Zygaena filipendulae) is another yellow caterpillar that looks like a fat slug, their coloration helping keep predators away. One of the commercially valuable caterpillars is the Tasar Silkworm Caterpillar ( Antheraea mylitta) found in the wild in India. I am a previously jaded ex-lawyer and now positively charged mompreneur who founded AshleyYeo.com. Ashley Yeo is a "fictional" character who is very different from me in personality. I am formal and boring while Ashley Yeo attempts to live a bit more dangerously but within acceptable boundaries.

One of the unusual features of this crawling larva bug is the strange paddle-like hairs that protrude from the sides of the caterpillar, giving it also the common name the ‘paddle caterpillar’. It often stands out in flaming red contrast to its surroundings. The White Morpho Caterpillar has a brushy body with fine sets of reddish hair-like growth at the two ends and in the middle of the body, alternating with yellow coloration. Can Caterpillars Be Gray? Habitat and Distribution: Found in diverse habitats such as gardens, agricultural areas, and open spaces, primarily across Europe, Asia, and North America Host Plants: Feeds primarily on ragwort and groundsel, which are toxic to most animals but not to the cinnabar caterpillar The Palm Budworm is easy to spot, with a smooth pink body and brown head. The White-blotched Heterocampa

Our frog template is great for learning about life cycles too and there are two different designs so you can try out some different craft ideas. Another large species, the Luna Moth Caterpillar ( Actias luna) has a spiky pale green body. The Tomato Hornworm Caterpillar ( Manduca quinquemaculata) is a common garden pest that feeds on tomato plants. Gray caterpillars can be found on every continent except Antarctica. The Gypsy Moth Caterpillar is common all over the US, as well as Europe, Asia and North Africa.This caterpillar specimen looks quite harmless apart from its orange or reddish-pink hook at its tail end. However, even this horned end won’t do any harm if you touch it.