The Trump-like Horror in My Backyard

by Kim D.

Was watching a doco on dangerous bugs & found #Trump's hairdo inspiration - the puss caterpillar. Scary https://t.co/bfCwsa6itV pic.twitter.com/M09T5vtmPF

— Dr Simon (@fivebees73) October 23, 2016

Joke all you want about how this fuzzy critter looks like Donald Trump, but the Puss Caterpillar is no laughing manner. National Geographic calls it a "toxic toupee," naming this caterpillar as the most venomous in the United States:

The puss caterpillar got its name because it resembles a cuddly house cat, said University of Florida entomologist Don Hall. While these insects may look soft, their outer comb-over (which some have compared to a toupee or the coif of Donald Trump) hides small, extremely toxic spines that stick in your skin.

“A puss caterpillar sting feels like a bee sting, only worse. The pain immediately and rapidly gets worse after being stung, and can even make your bones hurt,” Hall said.

“How bad the sting hurts depends on where you get stung and how many spines are embedded in your skin. People who have been stung on the hand say the pain can radiate up to their shoulder and last for up to 12 hours,” Hall said. 

According to the Houston Chronicle, this fuzzy nightmare might be in my backyard. Evidently the heavy rains we experienced during the spring and summer created a boom of caterpillar eggs which are normally eaten by ladybugs and beetles which were displaced this year due to flooding.

@Strange_Animals @GrrlScientist The common name here is puss caterpillar. It makes a grid of welts on your skin and burns like molten terror

— Barbara Tomlinson (@beachton) October 10, 2016

The Chronicle gives a few tips on how to deal with the puss caterpillar's sting:

If you do get stung, don't panic. The severity of a sting varies from person to person. Much of it depends on how many of the caterpillar's venomous hairs come in contact with the skin.

Sever stings can cause throbbing for up to five days. Other symptoms can include pain in the lymph glands, blood-colored spots at the site of the sting, headaches, nausea, vomiting and acute abdominal distress. At its worst, the venom can cause a human to go into shock or respiratory distress.

A more typical reaction requires a cold compress, topical antibiotic ointment and an over-the-counter kind of pain antihistamine like Benadryl . . . Other medical professionals have recommended putting a piece of duct tape over the stung area to pull out the venomous hairs before treating it with a cold compress and a pain reliever.

Yikes!

Do not touch this furry caterpillar! Puss caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis) in United States, Mexico pic.twitter.com/4msqJX0R3u

— Jose Archer (@JoseArcher4) October 10, 2016

Agreed!