Phobetron pithecium, the hag moth, is a moth  of the family Limacodidae. Its larva is known as the monkey slug.

Calliteara pudibunda, the pale tussock, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The Dutch common name for the moth (Meriansborstel) comes from the butterfly and insect painter Maria Sibylla Merian. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is found in Asia and Europe.

Acronicta funeralis, the funerary dagger moth  or paddle caterpillar, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote and Coleman Townsend Robinson in 1866.[1] It has a scattered distribution. It is found in North America from Manitoba to Nova Scotia, south to Maryland. It is also found in Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, and along the west-coast from California to British Columbia.

The Sphingidae are a family of moths  commonly called sphinx moths, also colloquially known as hawk moths, with many of their caterpillars known as hornworms. It includes about 1,450 species.[1] It is best represented in the tropics, but species are found in every region.[2] They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their agile and sustained flying ability, similar enough to that of hummingbirds as to be reliably mistaken for them.[2] Their narrow wings and streamlined abdomens are adaptations for rapid flight. The family was named by French zoologist Pierre André Latreille in 1802.

Sphinx ligustri, the privet hawk moth, is a moth found in most of the Palearctic realm. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

The garden tiger moth or great tiger moth[2] (Arctia caja) is a moth of the family Erebidae. Arctia caja is a northern species found in the US, Canada, and Europe.[3][4] The moth prefers cold climates with temperate seasonality, as the larvae overwinter,[3] and preferentially chooses host plants that produce pyrrolizidine alkaloids.[5][6][3] However, garden tiger moths are generalists, and will pick many different plants to use as larval host plants.[5][4][3]

The mullein moth (Cucullia verbasci) is a noctuid moth with a Palearctic distribution. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

Euthrix potatoria, the drinker, is an orange-brown moth of the family Lasiocampidae.[

Euthrix potatoria, the drinker, is an orange-brown moth of the family Lasiocampidae.[

The monarch butterfly or simply monarch  (Danaus plexippus) is a milkweed butterfly  (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae.[6] Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown.[7] It is among the most familiar of North American butterflies and an iconic pollinator,[8] although it is not an especially effective pollinator of milkweeds.[9] Its wings feature an easily recognizable black, orange, and white pattern, with a wingspan of 8.9–10.2 cm (3.5–4.0 in).[10] A Müllerian mimic, the viceroy butterfly, is similar in color and pattern, but is markedly smaller and has an extra black stripe across each hindwing.

The saddleback caterpillar (Acharia stimuli, formerly Sibine stimulea) is the larva of a species of moth native to eastern North America. It is also found in Mexico.[1] The species belongs to the family of slug caterpillars, Limacodidae.

The saddleback caterpillar is the larva of the slug moth. Its claim to this cute bugs list is the bright blanket of color around its middle. The blanket is primarily bright green with strips of red and white around the borders. 

Those colors are warning colors that signal toxicity to ward off predators. The saddleback caterpillar has spikes along its lower sides, head, and tail. The sting from these spikes is poisonous and painful.

For a few metaphors related to transformation, you might also like our caterpillar quotes.