Southern Flannel Moth

''Megalopyge opercularis'' is a moth of the family Megalopygidae. It has numerous common names, including southern flannel moth for its adult form, and puss caterpillar, asp, Italian asp, Fire caterpillar, woolly slug, opossum bug, puss moth, tree asp, or asp caterpillar.

Description

The inch-long larva is generously coated in long, luxuriant hair-like setae, making it resemble a tiny Persian cat, the characteristic that presumably gave it the name "puss". It is variable in color, from downy grayish white to golden brown to dark charcoal gray. It often has a streak of bright orange running longitudinally. The "fur" on early-stage larvae is sometimes extremely curly, giving them a cottony, puffed-up look. The body tapers to a tail that extends well beyond the body, unlike its relative '' M. crispata''. The middle instar has a more disheveled, "bad-hair-day" appearance, without a distinctive tail. The "fur" of the larva contains venomous spines that cause extremely painful reactions in human skin upon contact. The adult moth is covered in long fur in colors ranging from dull orange to lemon yellow, with hairy legs and fuzzy black feet.

Habitat

''M. opercularis'' can be found on oak, elm, and wild plum, among others, as well as many garden plants such as roses and ivy. It is distributed throughout the Eastern United States between extreme southeastern Virginia and Florida, the southern United States, Mexico, and parts of Central America.

Dangers and treatment of stings

The caterpillar is regarded as a dangerous insect because of its venomous spines. Exposure to the caterpillar's fur-like spines leads to an immediate skin irritation characterized by a "grid-like hemorrhagic papular eruption with severe radiating pain." Victims describe the pain as similar to a broken bone or blunt-force trauma, or even white hot. The reactions are sometimes localized to the affected area, but are often very severe, radiating up a limb and causing burning, swelling, nausea, headache, abdominal distress, rashes, blisters, and sometimes chest pain, numbness, or difficulty breathing.
Sweating from the welts or hives at the site of the sting is not unusual.

The venom from the spines is best treated within hours of first contact. For first aid, the spines (if present) should be removed by using cellophane tape. Some remedies, which are reported to have varying degrees of success, include ice packs, oral antihistamine, baking soda, hydrocortisone cream, juice from the stems of comfrey plants, and calamine lotion.

References

External links

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Research on the Asp Caterpillar at Baylor College of Medicine



BugGuide account


on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures website.
* Aylin Woodward, Caroline Praderio
Poisonous Caterpillars That Look Like Bad Wigs Are Popping Up All Over Virginia
on: science^alert; 10 October 2020; source: Business Insider.

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4043912

Moths described in 1797
Megalopygidae