The females reuse the cocoon as a place to lay their eggs, which they cover with a new protective layer of secretions and setae. The females wait on the cocoon they emerged from, releasing pheromones to advertise their locations. Small brown males set off in search of the flightless females. Adults emerge from mid-April to early May. Eventually, after feeding on a variety of vegetation, they spin a silk cocoon, also incorporating setae plucked from their own bodies. Western tussock moth caterpillars become more recognizable during their second instar, or growth stage. Though they appear soft, beware! Touching their protective, hair-like setae can irritate your skin. This is a native moth found across many of the Pacific States and often seen in the spring at Cabrillo National Monument. They can also be recognized by the distinctive set of four white tufts, or tussocks, on their back. The fuzzy caterpillars are the larvae of the western tussock moth ( Orgyia vetusta). Though stunning as caterpillars, both are destined to become not flashy butterflies, but mostly brown moths. Upon closer inspection, these bursts of color belong to two different kinds of caterpillars. Other dark orange spots appear at either end of a smooth, black, orange-lined body. Some of the spots are covered in black and white fuzz and organized in a long series of rows. Most of all, monument staff have been noticing bright spots of orange and red moving among the amazing display of flowers. June 2017 - Winter rains have brought color to Cabrillo National Monument in more ways than one. ![]() Wildflowers and colorful caterpillars at Cabrillo National Monument
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