“Hey! One of my friends found this nifty guy last year, and neither of us could find what it is. I tried looking again, now that I have more resources, but I couldn’t find one that fits it exactly. I thought I might bring it to you, since you’re more trained with these things, so, any ideas?”- riseofthevulpes

Hi!  This is some species of Stinging Slug Caterpillar, but I just don’t know which one.  It looks similar to the Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar but it’s not a perfect match.  Stinging Slug Caterpillars reportedly can have quite a painful sting and should not be handled. They are quite cool/gaudy looking critters and some species are known as “Chinese Junk”, a name very suiting.  The adults are fluffy moths.  Here are some relatives on bugguide.