Question: Cute fuzzy octopus monster that could be a plush toy? Dapper, with its velvety back and sweeping bristles, this creature looks more vintage feather boa than larva—but larva it is. And stinging larva, at that. Although some people have little to no reaction to this caterpillar, others have a reaction that ranges from a mild to a fairly severe rash comparable to poison ivy. Somebody needs a haircut—but then somebody would be much less dangerous and not nearly as cute.
The larvae of the pine processionary moth could be the model for caterpillar shampoo if there were such a thing. But all that hair, touchable as it may look, should never be touched. Not only are the extremely irritating hairs harpoon-shaped, but the caterpillar can eject them when threatened, at which point they penetrate all areas of exposed skin, replete with urticating venom. Nature got it right with this one—it's designed it to look as scary as it is. This is not the caterpillar you want to meet in a dark alley.
Known as the "assassin caterpillar," the South American larvae are responsible for over 1, cases of poisoning from to , with many leading to death. The spear-like bristles penetrate the skin and deliver a dose of toxin that leads to headache, fever, vomiting, and malaise before a severe bleeding disorder ensues, leading to ecchymosis, hematuria, pulmonary and intracranial hemorrhages, and acute renal failure.
Should you get stung by a caterpillar, Florida Poison Control recommends the following:. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile.
Select personalised ads. The Florida Poison Information Center FPIC recommends treating puss caterpillar stings by placing scotch tape over the sting, then peeling it off to remove the spines. In , a puss caterpillar dropped from a tree onto 5-year-old Adrie Chambers who was playing in the yard of her Texas Daycare. Chambers's arm went numb, and she was rushed to the hospital where she was treated with steroids and made a full recovery.
A Florida teenager also got stung in and was hospitalized shortly after. His mother published a Facebook post about her son's sting, which was reportedly shared hundreds of thousands of times. And in May , a mom recalled hearing a "blood-curdling scream" after her 5-year-old son stepped on one of the caterpillars.
Outbreaks of puss caterpillar stings even prompted public school closures in Texas in and The puss caterpillar is found on the East Coast between Florida and New Jersey, but its habitat extends as far west as Arkansas and Texas, according to a guide published by the University of Florida's Entomology Department. According to the VDOF, the caterpillars eat oak and elm leaves but can be found in parks or near structures.
Ren Oliver's family spotted one of the furry insects on a deck when eating dinner in Tappahannnock in early September. It's probably poisonous! After reading about how venomous they are, Oliver's father picked up the caterpillar with paper towels and flung it in a nearby river.
Just bizarre," Oliver said. Although many hairy caterpillars look scary, most are quite harmless. There are some spiky caterpillars that are poisonous and can give you a bee-like sting or cause skin irritation. So, until you identify the exact caterpillar species, you should avoid handling the furry ones without protective gloves. Identifying fuzzy caterpillars requires noting their color, type of hairy covering, and specific markings.
Some types of furry caterpillars also look deceiving. For example, some woolly caterpillars look like soft furry worms. However, their bristles are a defense mechanism and can be spiky and sore. In this article, you will learn how to identify the various types of common furry caterpillars. In addition, you will find out about the poisonous stinging caterpillars to be aware of.
The descriptions of the various caterpillars in this list are of mature larvae in their last stage before pupation. After hatching from an egg, the larvae are constantly feeding on plants and growing in size. So, an immature caterpillar may look different from a mature furry one.
The Banded Woolly Bear Caterpillar is a furry type of caterpillar with black and orange hairs. The Banded Wooly Bear caterpillar Pyrrharctia isabella is one of the most common types of caterpillars. They are easy to identify due to their dark orange and black markings as seen in the picture. Although they look like soft furry insects, their body covering is made from bristles that can penetrate your skin.
Some people used to think that Banded Woolybears could predict the severity of winter. A wider orange band in the middle was said to mean that the winter would be mild. You can spot banded woolly caterpillars due to the black hairy covering on the ends and a wide brown or tan band of hair in their middle. The hairy Salt Marsh caterpillar can vary in color from tan to dark brown, almost black. The Salt Marsh caterpillar Estigmene acrea is another furry caterpillar that feeds on tomato, cotton, soybean, and cabbage plants.
The larvae of the Salt Marsh moth can range in color from pale yellow to dark brown, almost black. You can identify these caterpillars apart from Banded Woolly ones because of rows of black spots along their side. The white furry Sycamore Tussock caterpillar has an unusual pair of spikes on each end. The Tussock caterpillar Halysidota harrisii gets its name because it feeds on sycamore trees. This species belongs to the Erebidae family of crawling insects.
The Sycamore Tussock is an unusual looking white caterpillar due to 2 hair pencils protruding from each end. A pair of white and a pair of orange long spikes stick out from furry yellowish-white spines.
The sides of the larvae have fine white trailing setae bristly hairs. As with many types of fuzzy caterpillars, the bristles are irritating and may cause hives. These are not a stinging species and are certainly not a deadly caterpillar variety. The black and white Hickory Tussock caterpillar is a type of hairy caterpillar. This black and white caterpillar species is in the same family as the Sycamore Tussock but from the Lophocampa genus.
This white furry caterpillar is covered in tufts of white setae. Similar to the Sycamore Tussock, the Hickory Tiger moth caterpillar has a pair of long black hair pencils at each end. The white and black spines may look soft and harmless but they are very irritating.
The microscopic hooked ends can cause pain if they get into your eyes or lodged in your skin. After emerging from the pupa, these spiny white caterpillars are a beautiful brown moth with yellow markings on the wings. From above, the black bristles have a diamond shape. The American Dagger caterpillar can be identified by its distinct yellow-whitish hairy look. Despite its aggressive-sounding name, the American Dagger caterpillar Acronicta americana is quite harmless.
Its long body is covered in long spindly pale yellow hairs, making it look very soft. Apart from its long yellow-white fluffy hairs, you can recognize this caterpillar by its shiny black head. Towards the head end are 2 pairs of long dark hair pencils and a solitary single one at its rear. You can often find these furry yellowish caterpillars feeding on tree leaves.
Favorites of this species include ash, birch, hickory, and oak trees. You can identify the American Dagger caterpillar due to 5 long black hair pencils. There are 2 near the head and middle, and one on the end. The large Io caterpillar has green poisonous spikes. One of the most unusual fat spiky caterpillars is the Io caterpillar scientific name Automeris io.
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