THIS scary-looking creature was found in Astwood Bank last week.

Viv Holmes, of Priest Meadow Close, contacted the Advertiser following an appeal last month for people to come forward if they had seen a 'woolly bear' caterpillar, which scientists believed are becoming rare.

Mrs Holmes said she thought this caterpillar was indeed a woolly bear, but after contacting the Midlands branch of Butterfly Conservation, discovered it was the larvae of a white-marked tussock moth.

White-marked tussock moth caterpillars look similar to woolly bears because they are both very hairy.

But they have yellowish bodies and red heads whereas woolly bears, the larvae of the striking garden tiger moth, are orange and black.

The tussock moth caterpillar also belongs to a group known as the "stinging" caterpillars because they have hollow spines containing toxins to protect them from predators.

People with sensitive skin may suffer rashes from brushing against the spines.