Packsaddle
In Southern and Appalachian speech, "packsaddle" is the folk name for the saddleback caterpillar, a spiky green-and-brown insect known for its painful sting.
synonyms: stinging caterpillar, packsaddle bug
Hillbilly Dude Says...
I once had a 'packsaddle' land on my neck and I accidentally rolled it across with my hand - messed me up pretty good. It's all I've ever known them to be called. Hillbilly Dude Says...
I once had a 'packsaddle' land on my neck and I accidentally rolled it across with my hand - messed me up pretty good. It's all I've ever known them to be called. Pronunciation
[PAK-sad-ul] /ˈpækˌsæd.əl/
Meaning & Usage
- A stinging caterpillar with a "saddle" mark (noun)
Earl:
What’s that on the leaf?
What’s that on the leaf?
Hazel:
Don’t touch it - that’s a packsaddle. You’ll be itchin’ all week.
Don’t touch it - that’s a packsaddle. You’ll be itchin’ all week.variations: saddleback caterpillar
★ The sting from a packsaddle can feel like a wasp or worse. Country kids were taught early: "If it’s pretty, don’t touch it." ★
Origin and Etymology
The name comes from the insect’s bold green patch that looks like a packsaddle on a mule’s back. The term was passed down in rural Southern and Appalachian communities, where encounters with the bug were common.
Usage Notes
- Still remembered as a childhood warning in the South and Appalachia.
- Less known outside the region, where it’s usually called the "saddleback caterpillar."
- Represents the way folk life named creatures after familiar farm objects.