packsaddle
A stinging caterpillar with a saddle-shaped patch on its back.
Also called saddleback, saddleback caterpillar, pack saddle.
Updated September 24, 2026
packsaddle pronunciation
/PACK-sad-ul/
Meaning
Rural Southern and Appalachian name for the saddleback caterpillar — green and brown, spiky, and mean if you grab it in the corn patch or berry bushes. Named for the little saddle mark on its back, like a pack saddle on a mule. Folks warn kids early: pretty bug, don't touch. The sting can hang on longer than a wasp poke.
How folks use it
- “Don't grab that leaf — there's a packsaddle on it.”
- “A packsaddle sting in the corn patch will ruin your afternoon.”
Origin and etymology
Folk name from the caterpillar's saddle-shaped marking, borrowed from the farm pack saddle used to haul loads on a mule or horse. Documented in Smoky Mountain English as Sibine stimulea (the poisonous-sting caterpillar). Outside the mountains people usually just say saddleback.
Frequently asked questions
Is a packsaddle the same as a saddleback?
Same bug. Packsaddle is the country name; saddleback is what field guides and folks outside the hills tend to use.