Woolly Booger

Well, maybe autumn is closer than I though. I found this woolly little fellow (and zillions of his siblings) down in the Hillside Garden this afternoon. I'm not certain where he was going but he was in a hurry. His head, by the way, is pointing to the top.


This booger is the larva of what is likely a Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae) but there are so many in the family of Tiger and Lichen Moths I'm not certain. It eats the leaves of hickory, pecan and walnuts, ash, elm, oak, willow, and many others and spends winter in the leaves on the ground.