Over thousands of years, humans have acquired reflexes and learned to avoid certain animals and creatures.
While most animals are completely harmless to people, it is prudent to exercise caution when out in nature.
It had been a normal day out with the kids up to that point, but then she noticed a strange ball-shaped fuzzy creature. That’s what mother Leslie Howe did while spending time with her family at a little park.
Leslie, a Georgian mother, observed an odd object near her children at a neighborhood playground in 2014. It had been a normal day out with the kids until Leslie noticed a strange ball-shaped hairy monster.
The mother went with her gut. And it would prove to be a wise decision in the end. “Feels like a wasp sting, but worse”
Leslie was in a park in Gwinnett County, Georgia, with her infant and two other young children when the “fur ball” caught her eye. Despite its small size and first innocent aspect, she felt a need to avoid it.
Even though this story was originally published a few years back, it has resurfaced online to alert all American parents to the danger.
Since then, Leslie had hoped that by sharing her story, others would be warned to avoid the suspicious fur ball, which was actually a Megalopyge Opercularis larva, also known as the puss caterpillar.
The name could reflect to how similar the caterpillar’s velvety fur is to that of a cat. The bug may inject venom, although its exterior makes it appear harmless. Hair hides the venomous bristles beneath.
These larvae, which can grow to be about an inch long, live throughout the United States. According to NPR, they were “feasting on foliage in states between New Jersey and Florida and as far west as Texas.”
The puss caterpillar’s sting is highly painful, so avoid touching it at all times. If you do this, they may stick to you and inject venom.
“It feels like a wasp sting but worse. The pain hits immediately and gets worse after the creature sticks, and can even make your bones hurt. How badly it gets stuck depends on where it gets stuck and how many tags have dug into your skin. People who’ve had it stuck on their hands have reported feeling the pain up to their shoulders and it lasting for up to twelve hours,” ethnologist Don Hall told National Geographic, according to Expressen.
The puss caterpillar’s sting undoubtedly harmed Eric Day, manager of Virginia Tech’s Insect ID Lab. He was mowing the lawn at his country home in Virginia when he was bitten by the strange-locking caterpillar.
“The burning sensation went away in a day or so, but that blister and then subsequent kind of irritated area was visible for several weeks,” he recalled.
If this caterpillar stings you, properly wash the affected area with soap and water after removing the dangerous hairs with tape. If the sting location begins to itch, the National Capital Poison Center recommends using baking powder or hydrocortisone lotion to the area. If the situation worsens, seek medical attention immediately.
Puss caterpillars are rarely fatal, but their sting can provoke anaphylaxis, which is life-threatening.