Venom on the hoof

According to entomologists at the University of Florida, the Io moth caterpillar, Automeris io, has a row of tubercles with spines that connected to poison glands.  This insect can have  two generations a year and overwinters in the pupal stage. Did not know any of this when I took the photo and am glad not to have picked him up.

Io moth caterpillar
ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE? -- An io moth caterpillar explores is world.