Content:
- The Buck Moth
- The Saddleback Caterpillar
- The White Cedar Moth Caterpillar
- The Bag Shelter Caterpillar
- The Hag Moth Caterpillar
- The Puss Caterpillar
- Conclusion
There are not only green caterpillars, there are plenty of colorful, plenty of beautiful, but also many dangerous caterpillars.
For example, the Glass Jewel Caterpillar, which reminds us of the stained glass windows of gothic cathedrals; the Big Header Caterpillar, with a huge face and, what appear to be massive teeth painted on it; however, if you ask me my favorite, I would have to go for the Wattle Cup Caterpillar, whose bright colors appear to be the creation of an Impressionist master.
However, most people think of these animals as uninteresting and boring at best, if not downright unpleasant because of their shapes and soft ‘slimy’ skin. True, they spend virtually the whole of their lives just eating away at leaves and ‘fattening up’, however, not all of them are as innocuous as people think… In fact, you may be surprised to find out, some of them are actually dangerous!
You heard me right… Some of these small creatures can be a danger even to humans. This is mainly because nature has endowed them with ways of protecting themselves from predators. Imagine being a soft and (to some eyes) succulent worm-like being that needs to spend its entire life on a leaf with hungry birds flying by all day long…
Unless you have some sort of protection, the chances are that one of those big flying animals will stop for a snack on the way. So, here we are… If you read on, you will find out some of the most dangerous caterpillars on Earth.
The Buck Moth
We all know that silk comes from caterpillars, another wonder of these beautiful animals. There are different types of silkworms, and some are known as giant silkworms because of their size. Most of them are perfectly innocuous, and, if you were a silkworm breeder, you would have no problem whatsoever handling them.
However, there are some that can sting you, and, what is more, they are actually poisonous. These are known as Buck Moth and they are still grown for their precious cocoons in the USA, especially in Kentucky.
Known by the scientific name of Hemileuca maia, this caterpillar can grow to be 2 inches long. It is brownish in color and it also has many tiny yellow spots. Moreover, its body is full of spikes, arranged so that they point in all directions (these, sometimes have red tips).
Well, if you see one of those (they are common on willow and oak trees in spring and early to mid-summer), you’d better keep your hands off it as those spikes can hurt you and inject you with a painful substance that can cause serious effects like pain (in your belly), vomit and even kidney failure.
In fact, the sting of this caterpillar can even be lethal! It has been caused the death of many people, so, keep your hands off it…
The Saddleback Caterpillar
This tiny animal has a very curious and even funny look; in fact, as its name suggests, it resembles a saddle. It has a red or dark grey spot in the middle surrounded by a bright green patch, but its main feature is that it has big ‘horns’ on both ends that give it its particular shape.
However, if you think that the bright coloring is for your amusement, you are sorely mistaken. In fact, its function (like for most dangerous caterpillars) is to warn off birds and other animals that may have the idea of turning them into a meal.
Usually, the brightest the color, the more poisonous the animal that flaunts it in these cases.
And the Saddleback Caterpillar (or Acharia stimulea in Latin) is no exception; it is endowed with spikes that can penetrate your skin and give you some serious problems which range from headache and stomach ache to life-threatening ones like anaphylactic shock, especially if you are asthmatic.
Thus, if you live on the east coast of the States and you come across one of these, keep a safe distance and walk on…
The White Cedar Moth Caterpillar
This unassuming cousin of the Saddleback Caterpillar and of the other ostentatiously colorful ones we will see seems to be the exception to the fact that colorful ones are dangerous. In fact, if you look at it, you may well confuse it with many other species you encounter very frequently: it has a brownish-grey color and it does not have any bright spots on its skin.
However, the spikes (some softish) that cover its body should be a warning sign; do not touch it or you may get stung.
And if this happens, although the Leptocneria reducta, as it is known by scientists, is not as toxic as the ones we have met so far, it can still cause you pain and discomfort with symptoms that are similar to those of urticaria or nettle rash.
The Bag Shelter Caterpillar
The choice of this one for the list is because it’s a very, very odd one.
A native of (and fortunately limited to) Australia, the Orchogaster lunifer is a small and hairy animal with fluffy spines and, like the White Cedar Moth Caterpillar, you wouldn’t make much of it if you saw one; greyish in color, it could pass for a small innocuous larva. But it isn’t.
The weird thing about this dangerous caterpillar is that they follow each other creating long threads or files of small animals that can cross your path on the ground.
If you intend to go down under, put this one on your list of deadly animals, together with spiders and snakes; in fact, if you see a long, fluffy line on the floor, your best option is to turn your heels and go away as fast as possible.
Tiny though they are, they have an anticoagulant venom that can cause internal hemorrhage to humans and even cause horses to miscarry.
The Hag Moth Caterpillar
This is another odd and interesting dangerous caterpillar. Known scientifically as Phobetron pithecium, it looks very different from other butterfly larvae; in fact, it has what appear to be legs, and not one, but many of them.
If you saw it, you may be justified in thinking that a fuzzy octopus has walked out of the sea to bask in the sun. But this is not the case.
Like other animals, for example, newts, it can shed its legs, but the fluff can sting you and give you some really, really nasty irritation. Fortunately, it is easy to recognize…
The Puss Caterpillar
Of all the caterpillars we have seen so far, this is the cuddliest; informally called “Cousin It” caterpillar, with reference to the famous character from the Adams Family, because it has very, very long hair and that’s all you can see when you meet one, this tiny animal lives on oaks and elms in the USA and Mexico, where it munches away at leaves before it turns into a fluffy yellow moth known as Megalopyge opercularis.
The problem with this incredible but dangerous caterpillar is that it is regarded as a species to be wary of. The spikes, in fact, which appear as fluffy hair like those of a cuddly toy, contain a venom that can give serious irritation and irritate your skin. If you are stung by it, you will develop hemorrhagic papular eruptions on your skin which cause very severe pain.
The effects of the sting of these original insects have been studied in-depth and patients have described the pain like that of a “broken bone”.
That’s a really nasty sting indeed. Moreover, in some cases, symptoms can be much more severe though. These may include things like nausea, headache, swelling, blisters and even abdominal problems, numbness and rashes sometimes accompanied by difficulty when breathing.
Thus, you will understand that this ‘fluffy toy’ can be a real health hazard and, if you get stung, you should immediately see a doctor.
Conclusion
Caterpillars are innocuous little worm-like animals that chew on leaves? Well, not all of them…
I am sure you will agree now that the dangers you run if you meet the wrong kind of caterpillar have made you change your mind. Of course, there are many caterpillars we all know that are perfectly safe to touch should you wish to do so, and, in case you get into physical contact with them, nothing will happen.
However, there are a few that can sting, and, what is more, they are poisonous. Very often, these are the most colorful ones (remember, we discovered why early on in this article…); others behave in very, very unusual ways, like the Hag Bag Shelter Caterpillar.
More still may even invite cuddly feelings, like the Puss Caterpillar and the Hag Moth Caterpillar…
You are certainly better off knowing which butterfly or moth larvae can be dangerous, and this list gives you some of the most interesting and amazing, however, as a general rule, if you don’t know a caterpillar for sure, just leave it where it is, maybe wish it good lunch and move on without touching it. Better safe than sorry…
