Megalopyge opercularis
Picture credit: Wikipedia
Thank you so very much to Walkingfox for alerting me about this story just now.
This is a very short post because it is so important and just learned about.
I also wanted to alert as many of you, as soon as possible about this.
On our local WFTV News earlier today, was a report about, don’t laugh, a fuzzy caterpillar that is very scary.
Its scientific name is Megalopyge opercularis and it has been found in Florida.
DO NOT TOUCH it under any conditions.
This thing is nasty and its toxic venom will do you great harm.
Even though it is fairly small, at about one inch long, it is the most poisonous Caterpillar in the United States.
This is not a joke, take a look at the pictures of the victims in the links below.
You, your pets and your children need to be on high alert for this creature, every single time that you are outside in your yards, or where ever.
Please watch out for it and if any of you should come in contact with it, follow the directions on any of these links included below, immediately.
All I can say is YIKES!
And, Welcome to the Tropics.
Places to learn more:
Puss Caterpillar or Asp — General Information
Florida’s Puss Caterpillars Pack a Venomous Punch
Doctors: Don’t pet fuzzy caterpillar
Megalopyge opercularis – Wikipedia
Nasty!
Yes they certainly are!!
Good to know for anyone likely to come across one. After clicking on the links I think I have now found the most disturbing moth in universe. Thank you. 😉
– sonmicloud
Yes, they are terrifying.
Think of this.
You are in your yard playing with your dog, or children and accidentally brush up against one of them.
HOLY COW!!!!
YIKES!
Exactly !!!!
Thought the picture was a dog foot. Yow and Yikes is right. I haven’t seen any of these things thank goodness.
Just got a comment on our local FB page here in Paisley, from a person who “got nailed last summer ” by one of them.
Sounded really awful!
Thank you for this alert. Glad to be living way out in CA, despite the scary Napa quake I just survived.
Lucky us.
They appear to be only in the South and the Islands near here.
Oh my, I guess I have never seen one of those and don’t want to. Thanks for the warming.
They are only here in the South and the Islands in the Caribbean~
Glad you read it though, just in case~
Watch out for warm fuzzies in Florida. Got you.
We are awake now!
Thank you for the alert. More of God’s blessings to you and yours in the name of Jesus Christ.
I am only a messenger~
Never heard of this. Thank you.
Neither had we until yesterday~
Our local FB page has comments made by several recent victims, scary stuff.
Are they native to Florida? Trippy critters!
Having grown up in the Tropics, am used to all manner of creepy-crawlies but this is certainly new to me! Yikes again!
I’ll be extremely careful what I touch in future! 🙂
They are supposed to ONLY be around here in the Tropics.
Be a great shock if they were seen over there!!!!
I never saw anything like this but will post this in Facebook for friends in Florida.
They are right here on our block!!!!
That is some scary stuff. I posted the link on Facebook for my friends and family there, hopefully they will stay away.
Is this anywhere near the nudists? 😉
No sadly no