Meet the Stinging Nettle Caterpillar Known only as the “Red Devil”

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Habitat: Thailand, China, possibly other localities
Status: Not Listed

It is said that the Devil comes in many forms, always trying to lure you in with his charm and beauty. Well, that’s exactly the case with this brilliantly ornamented Limacodid caterpillar that’s been dubbed the “Red Devil” by master insect photographer John Horstman.

Cup Moth larva in the family Limacodidae comes in two main varieties: {typically} brilliantly colored larvae armed with long appendages that contain sets of stinging spines called stinging nettle caterpillars (like the ones shown here) and then the non-spined, usually smooth variety called gelatin slug caterpillars (like this previously posted watermelon example). They get that name from their lack of prolegs. Instead they move around with an adhesive belly much like a slug would.

The species shown here is a Setora sp, a type of stinging nettle caterpillar that keeps its spines tightly bunched together like the head of a broom until it feels threatened. If anything were to disturb it, it would unfurl its weapons and hold them pointed out at all who dare to venture close. The caterpillar is capable of releasing venom from poison sacs carried at the base of the spines. If one were to brush up against the stinging hairs, the reaction would range from mild itching to a more painful sting.

Eventually, like all butterfly and moth larvae, the Stinging Nettle Caterpillar metamorphosizes into a drab-colored moth. This is a photo of a Setora sp, but I’m not entirely sure that it’s the same species as the “Red Devil” shown above. Still, it gives you a good idea of just how drastic the change is from caterpillar to adult form.

To see more fascinating insects visit photographer John Horstman’s Flickr and Tumblr blog.