Spiny Oak-Slug

The spiny oak slug (Euclea delphinii) is the larva (caterpillar) of a limacodid moth. The North American variant of this moth is mostly dark brown, with a conspicuous triangular green patch on the median portion of the upper wing. The larva has a bright green — in today’s parlance, many would likely call it “neon green” — body with two longitudinal pale green, orange, or red stripes. These stripes  are adorned with a series of spiny tubercles. Additional spiny tubercles adorn the peripheral body. The spines on the tubercles easily penetrate human skin when one comes into contact with the larval body; a toxin released by the spines produces a mild sting that is generally not medically significant, though allergic individuals are apt to experience more complicated effects.