I don’t want them in the flower beds, but some around the brush pile are fine with me. They are kind of pretty. The bird would start a riot if I would pull them all. Saw a Mockinbird feeding a young one the berries right there on a plant not long ago.

I know the second one as the Puss caterpillar, Megalopyge opercularis. I've heard that their sting is more painful than that from a Saddleback, which I am personally familiar with. Yikes! For insect cuteness, look at the Puss moth.....talk about cute and cuddly.

Thanks for the response. I actually went to google first and came up empty handed. I even came across the key you linked to and was unsuccessful. Perhaps I should give it another try.

Thank you again! I am actually fascinated by this caterpillar. Visited it today and was amazed by how well it blended in with the leaf. Plus I just noticed the funky “face” on it’s back end.