I love to photograph insects with cool or unusual names, like this caterpillar known as the Smeared Dagger Moth Caterpillar (Acronicta oblinita). Who makes up these crazy names? Freddy Krueger? Jason? Someone obviously had been been watching too many slasher or horror films.
The first time that I photographed this caterpillar, I called it the Pittsburgh Steelers caterpillar, because its colors matched those of the Steelers’ uniforms. I even proposed that the Steelers adopt the caterpillar as a mascot, but the idea didn’t catch on—a fuzzy caterpillar probably doesn’t match the Steelers macho image anyways.
Now that I have captured the Smeared Dagger, I’m searching for one of my previous subjects, the Twice-stabbed Stink Bug (Cosmopepla lintneriana). Yes, that’s a real insect. You can’t just make this stuff up, or maybe you can.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Beautiful!
XOXO,
Isabella
Thanks. I suspect that not everyone with find this little caterpillar to be beautiful, but I am glad that you do. 🙂
I like your name better.
You really do have to wonder about those names! This is a nice looking caterpillar but I don’t think I’d want to grab him by mistake. Those spines look pretty sharp.
Your instincts are good, Allen. If I remember correctly, this is considered to be a “stinging” caterpillar and grabbing it can cause a burning or itchy sensation or worse.
It does make you wonder who thinks of these names and what they’ve been drinking/smoking at the time 🙂