“Can you please help identify this worm?” asks this reader in their submission regarding the white and yellow-striped worm-like critter pictured below. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.” Well first off, we want to say thank you to our reader for sending in this great photo! To us, this looks like a caterpillar of some kind, though we are not entirely sure what species of caterpillar it is. It could also be a sawfly larva, which are often mistaken for caterpillars. What we will say is that we recommend that our reader avoid direct physical contact with the creatures, since we do not know what they are. Allergic reactions can occur with unknown species. We do not think it is highly likely with this caterpillar, as typically poisonous caterpillars possess bristles, but that is not always a given.

If it is a caterpillar, it somewhat resembles certain species of inchworms and armyworms. Both of these types of caterpillars may be agricultural pests, causing damage in large numbers to crops, but they are of no danger to humans or pets. They would only be something to worry about if our reader found this caterpillar in their garden, but even then, since they just found the one caterpillar, it might still just be a one time occurrence. Of course, since our reader does not provide any context, we do not know what of this actually applies to them, but we find it best to cover all of the bases. If the caterpillar was found in their home, it is likely that it just wandered in. In that case, we suggest just gently moving the caterpillar outside.

Similarly, if it turns out to be a sawfly larva, then it is just as harmless. Sawfly larvae, like many species of caterpillars, are defoliators, meaning they munch on the leaves of trees and other plants. We have had cases of sawfly larvae infestations inside homes, but in our opinion those are accidental infestations (or at the least circumstantial ones). What we mean by that is that an adult sawfly mother has either gotten trapped inside a home and laid her eggs, or she has purposefully done so because she has deemed it a safe, stable environment for her eggs to hatch, but not because infesting a home is beneficial to the larvae (whose food source is outside!).

To conclude, we are not entirely sure what it is that our reader found, though they are definitely some kind of caterpillar or sawfly larva. If our reader wants to find out the specific species, we taking the critter to their local county extension office or to the nearest university’s entomology department, where someone will be able to physically examine it.

Summary

Article Name

Yellow and White-striped Worm is a Caterpillar or a Sawfly Larva

Description

"Can you please help identify this worm?" asks this reader in their submission regarding the white and yellow-striped worm-like critter pictured below. "Thank you. I really appreciate it." Well first off, we want to say thank you to our reader for sending in this great photo! To us, this looks like a caterpillar of some kind, though we are not entirely sure what species of caterpillar it is. It could also be a sawfly larva, which are often mistaken for caterpillars. What we will say is that we recommend that our reader avoid direct physical contact with the creatures, since we do not know what they are. Allergic reactions can occur with unknown species. We do not think it is highly likely with this caterpillar, as typically poisonous caterpillars possess bristles, but that is not always a given.

Author

Worm Researcher Anton