Monkey Slug Caterpillar
Phobetron pithecium
(fobe-tron pith-e-see-um)
Monkey slug caterpillars are utterly bizarre—first of all, they have no legs! So how do they get around? They slide themselves along the ground using suction cups on the underside of their fleshy bodies.
They look like they’re covered in soft brown fur, but these are actually tiny, sharp hairs that will sting anything that touches them. And in case that wasn’t strange enough, they have six leg-like “limbs” growing out of their furry upper bodies. These aren’t actual legs, but they make the caterpillar look bigger and more menacing than it actually is.
Monkey slugs can be up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) long.
Where They Live
These caterpillars, and the moths they turn into, live in eastern Canada and the United States, from Quebec to Arkansas and everywhere in between—wherever their favorite trees grow. These include willows, apples, chestnuts, oaks, and many others.
What They Eat
Scientists don’t know much about the diet of the monkey slug caterpillar, but it probably eats the leaves of bushes and trees such as oaks.
Once monkey slugs have transformed into moths, they slurp up sap, fruit juice, and flower nectar through their straw-like tongue, otherwise known as a proboscis.
Conservation Status
Not Evaluated
Like Creatonotos gangis, monkey slug caterpillars are something of a mystery. We don’t know much about them, and their conservation status hasn’t been evaluated. Hopefully, more research will be done in the future so we can understand their population and the threats they may face.
Fun Facts
