Spotted Tussock Moth Caterpillar

I was walking along the creek and noticed this silhouette:

You have to see what it is, right? Turns out it's a cute little bumblebee-like caterpillar. Once I noticed them, I realized that they were all over our acreage. I mean, all over. We must've seen one every 10-15 feet.

They're the caterpillar of the Spotted Tussock Moth - Hodges #8214 (Lophocampa maculata), not to be confused with the "Yellow Wooly Bear."

The reason they were all over? Their main diet is willow, alder, birch, poplar and maple. Check. Check. Check. Check and check! Apparently we own the perfect breeding ground for them.

Other than the color there's another very noticeable thing about these cute caterpillars: They motor! I don't think I've ever seen a faster caterpillar.

They also seem to have a penchant for hanging off the end of leaves. This one has hanging a foot above the creek. I wonder how many accidentally drown...

Milkweed Tussock Caterpillar

Found this beautifully patterned caterpillar on one of our butterfly bushes. It's a Milkweed Tussock Caterpillar and its striking coloring is to deter birds from eating it. Apparently the orange and black "sweater" it's wearing announces that not only does it not taste good, it's actually toxic due to its milkweed diet.

I've read that they're voracious eaters and sure enough, when I returned to the plant a few hours later, there were two full heads of flowers that had been eaten down to nubs.

Busted:

Great Spangled Fritillary Larva

While weeding around our poppies I found this caterpillar at the base of a violet clump. (I love violets and tend to leave them, until they form large masses, then out they go.)

Glad I left them! Violets are the main food source for the Great Spangled Fritillary larva, which I was able to ID thanks to the wonderful resources at BugGuide.net.