Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

:salam2:

The season where little ones discover a world full of creepy, crawly things in the backyard and the playground. Centipedes, inchworms, and caterpillars make great finds for anyone’s bug catcher, but know that there are several creatures to beware of.

Several types of caterpillars can cause a very ugly reaction because of their stinging hairs. The good news is that only a few of the thousands of variety of caterpillars sting. However, if you come across a stinger, be careful of its hairs, which once embedded in skin, release toxins that cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms, including a poison ivy-like rash, a severe burning sensation, and swelling. Hypersensitive reactions can include severe swelling, difficulty breathing, and a generalized system reaction.

If you spot any of the following critters, admire from afar; do not pick them up. If you find one of these on your clothing, remove immediately using some kind of barrier such as thick gloves and a towel you can discard.

1. The Saddleback caterpillar is brown in the front and rear, and has a very noticeable green “saddle” on its back, with a purplish-brown spot in the middle. There are prominent horns on the front and rear. Saddlebacks tend to feed on the underside of leaves, and are typically found on oak, cherry, plum, chestnut, and basswood trees. They are sometimes found on corn as well.

2. The Puss Caterpillar looks like a super-fuzzy cat, with light to dark brown or graying fur. There are small patches of white on each side of its body. The puss caterpillar has been found on American holly, as well as apple, maple, oak, elm, pecan, and sycamore trees. Contact can cause severe burning and pain that lasts for several hours.

3. The Io Moth Caterpillar is overall light green, but along each side there is a narrow white or yellow and reddish line. These caterpillars are covered with branched, black-pointed green spines. They feed on a wide variety of trees, corn, and clover.

4. The Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar is incredibly eye-catching, with their beautiful black and white hair. They are mostly are found on corn leaves, vegetable plants, shrubs and trees. A poison ivy-like rash often develops from contact with this caterpillar.

If you have the misfortune of being stung, you can use tape to remove some of the broken spines in the affected area. Follow by washing the area thoroughly with soap and water in order to remove some of the remaining venom. An ice pack may help to reduce pain and prevent swelling. In cases of severe reactions, eye stings or prolonged symptoms, see a doctor immediately.

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

OH YES!!!! I know of these ones...OMG...never ever gonna forget that experience, even now when I think about it I feel itchy!!!!

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

^
:emmy: what experience :5: tell us :faizy:

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

Yeaa...when I was in school...if I remember correctly it was rainy season...and on the roof of one part of the school all of them were in a group...and sometimes they would fall off the roof and then they toppled on top of us...uffffffffffff.....it was sooooooooooooooo itchy...our teachers rubbed coconu oil on our skin..then they took a knife and scraped the oil off our skin..and that was the way they took out those hairs from the caterpillars!!!!

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

^
sounds like very soft :cb:

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

ewwww shudders I no like insects!!!

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

nice thread,,,never seen any of these except the 4th one, i remember killing several of those when i was young.

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

We had a jamun ka darakht in our yard in Lahore and in my quest to pluck ripe jamun I put my hand on a bunch of those caterpillars , although I was very young boy but I shudder still with the thought of pain that caused and my hand swelled . I was crying for hours because of that pain. :eek:

What is so soft abt it?

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

^
I mean when we touch it :@:

Do we call it in urdu or in punjabi ‘Phambo-Kutta’ :konfused:

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

^I have no idea what you call it..but that sound funny :cb:

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

^
does it sounds words of any other language :konfused:

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

no clue…but it sound like some kind of dog :bummer:

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

AK,

read ur comments from Post # 41961 onwards. You’ll knw what i’m talking about :wink:

http://www.paklinks.com/gs/gupshup-cafe/143426-last-person-to-answer-this-post-wins-2099.html

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

^:omg:

That was one funny conversation we were having…agessss agoooooooooo…hahahahahahaa…now reading it made me laugh so hard :rotfl:

hahahahaa…I can’t believe u called me a jalebi :cb:

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

:omg: hehehehehe

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

^BTW..how in the world did u remember that you said that to me in that thread so long ago!!!!!? R u like a computer?

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

No i’m not a computer. I said so many things (funny conversations) to many, just need right time and right place to say it.

Hay we call phambo kutta to this green thing in clip

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

^hahaha..that is cute :cb:

Re: Stinging Caterpillars: Cute, Fuzzy…but Itchy

:khumar: :chai: