Seward, Alaska
While leaving Fourth of July Beach, I spotted a bright warning-colored caterpillar like a Woolly Bear cruising briskly along the sandy path strewn with beach ryegrass. White bristles like spears sprouted from the black head and tail sections, bookending a burnt-orange middle section. I scooped it up with the handy Chuck-it and moved it off trail near some alders and fireweed where it resumed its disrupted journey.
This was a new caterpillar to me, so I Googled it. As is often the case, Bob Armstrong not only provided the identification as a Spotted Tussock Moth, but patiently videotaped the incredible process of the caterpillar building a cocoon. At 7.3 hours, sped up 64x, the busy caterpillar was still spinning its amazing silken cocoon.
https://www.naturebob.com/building-cocoon-spotted-tussock-moth
https://www.naturebob.com/building-cocoon-spotted-tussock-moth
The location maps I found did not show this species in the Kenai Peninsula or Seward yet. I also did not find any information that it was an invasive or destructive. I did learn that the white, barbed, stinging bristles can inflict pain, so I am glad I did not touch it.
Keep your eye out for these fascinating caterpillars on the move. If you’re lucky, you might find one spinning its silky winter home on the underside of a rock. After surviving freezing temperatures, they will emerge, magically transformed into winged adult moths in the spring.
Happy Birding and Nature Watching!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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