It looks so nice to touch. But you mustn't touch.
Under all that fur on the puss caterpillar are venomous bristles that break off into the skin when touched by humans and cause serious pain. 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 hides small, extremely toxic spines that stick in your skin.
This species naturally goes through boom-and-bust cycles, and populations can rise and fall dramatically based on weather, food availability, and the number of parasites around. Female flannel moths (what puss caterpillars become as adults) covers her eggs with hairs from the tip of her own abdomen. “Those hairs are not venomous, but presumably protect the eggs from natural enemies in some way"
At its largest, the puss caterpillar grows to just one inch long. Puss caterpillars are larvae of the southern flannel moth.
This puss caterpillar looks like you could reach out and pet it, but looks can be deceiving. Underneath that long, blond hair, venomous bristles hide. Even a molted skin can cause a serious skin reaction, so don't touch anything that looks like this caterpillar.
Under all that fur on the puss caterpillar are venomous bristles that break off into the skin when touched by humans and cause serious pain. 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 hides small, extremely toxic spines that stick in your skin.
This species naturally goes through boom-and-bust cycles, and populations can rise and fall dramatically based on weather, food availability, and the number of parasites around. Female flannel moths (what puss caterpillars become as adults) covers her eggs with hairs from the tip of her own abdomen. “Those hairs are not venomous, but presumably protect the eggs from natural enemies in some way"
At its largest, the puss caterpillar grows to just one inch long. Puss caterpillars are larvae of the southern flannel moth.
This puss caterpillar looks like you could reach out and pet it, but looks can be deceiving. Underneath that long, blond hair, venomous bristles hide. Even a molted skin can cause a serious skin reaction, so don't touch anything that looks like this caterpillar.
