Is this him?

Here is a link that might be useful: Dagger Moth

That's not him.

He's more fuzzy looking without spikes.

Thanks for the suggestion though :)

Lynn, could it be a woolly caterpillar: Tiger moth. There are species that are all yellow. The adult moth is very light in color. :)

Ginny

Thanks you two. Since he's so cute and there's only one of him, even if he's harmful how much harm can he do ?

It's times like these that I really should have a computer and camera that are compatible.

what about this guy and he is even from Alberta and he eats irises

Here is a link that might be useful: Ctenucha virginica

Not quite CL. I think he might be a spilosoma virginica, yellow woolybear, virginian tiger moth.

Now I'll need to go searching for him to get a better look. I could have thought to take a picture even if I can't post it.

So, I've never had any interest in moths, but I've read a bit since finding the yellow woolybear caterpillar and can't see any reason not to kill it if I find it again. I generally let mostly everything be controlled by nature or hand squishing and this guy is of no benefit to my garden.

Am I right?

I just came across one crawling along a big leaf of swiss chard (no evidence of munching). I just relocated him to the back of the garden and let him be. I've rarely run across more than one or 2 per season (the sandy coloured one and/or the black with brown band in the middle guy), so I don't see their numbers as too threatening. I googled what they'd look like as adults and have never seen the adult virginian moth, maybe once came across a tiger moth.

As for those numerous white cabbage butterflies flitting about all over the place, whenever I find a green slender caterpillar (and I suspect that is their larvae form) I 'rub' them out. As often as I do that, it doesn't seem to affect their population the following year!