There is a caterpillar on the doorframe leading out to the deck (on the outside.) He is about an inch and a half long, dark, with snazzy yellow racing stripes and some orderly paired yellow spots (more of interrupted stripes) along his back. He is not fuzzy, but has some fleshy spikes, a black head that looks rather insectile, and black, somewhat kinked antennae. He has eight sets of legs–three in front, four in back, and a sqodge of tail that may or may not involve limbs.

I cannot find a photo of him on-line in the “Caterpillars of Eastern Forests” site, and don’t know of a field guide by color, and the lighting’s in a bad spot for me to get a photo. Lacking any notion of the family, wading through dozens of moth guides sounds a little alarming. Anybody have any notions?

Update: And thanks to trishtrash below, we have identification! He is that nefarious pest, the orange-striped oakworm!

I’m supposed to squish him to save the trees, but that would involve getting caterpillar gunk all over things. Erk.

Originally published at Tea with the Squash God. You can comment here or there.