Venomous Asp Caterpillars With Stinging Fur Back in Texas

Authorities in Texas have received reports of several venomous asp caterpillars and have issued a warning that a rise in hospital visits may result from the insect's stinging fur.

Venomous Asp Caterpillars

The Lone Star State is now home to a bizarre insect that looks like a toupee.

Megalopyge opercularis, sometimes known as the asp caterpillar, is the name of the unwanted guest.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension claims that the asp is one of the most dangerous caterpillars in the nation despite its friendly, fluffy appearance. In truth, their thick fur is covered in venomous spines that, when touched, can cling to the skin and release venom.

A reasonable rule of thumb, according to Molly Keck, an AgriLife Bexar County Agrilife Extension specialist, is to avoid touching a caterpillar if it appears "fuzzy."

The teardrop-shaped insects, which are also known as puss caterpillars, may become up to approximately an inch long and are entirely covered in thick, long, silky hairs that taper down the back. Their hues might be anything from gray or yellow to reddish-brown.

They start to appear in the late spring or early summer when they could infest the shrubbery and shade trees surrounding residences, schools, and parks.

The insects will eventually change into the southern flannel moth, which will emerge either in late spring or the beginning of summer to lay hundreds of eggs on host trees like oak, pecan, elm, hackberry, and others. They also consume other bushes, including dwarf yaupon.

Painful Sting

According to the National Capital Poison Center, asp venom can cause skin irritation such as redness, itching, welts, swelling, and blisters.

The center advises applying tape over the wound and removing it frequently until all the spines are gone in order to cure a rash brought on by the sting.

Apply an ice pack after cleaning the area with water and soap. Itching can be reduced by applying hydrocortisone cream or taking an oral antihistamine.

According to Wizzie Brown, a Travis County AgriLife Extension specialist, some people may experience a more severe reaction than others, and the location of the sting and the thickness of the affected skin can also influence how the person reacts.

Other post-sting symptoms may include nausea, headaches, respiratory strain, vomiting, or shock, all of which require emergency medical attention, CHRON noted.

The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service states that aftertouch, a severe, excruciating pain appears instantly or within five minutes.

Pain often goes away in an hour, and crimson patches at the sting site typically vanish in 24 to 48 hours, according to KJAS.COM.

Three Fun Facts:

• In several regions of the world, traditional medicine uses the venom of certain kinds of asp caterpillars.
• Many birds are not deterred by asp caterpillars' poisonous spines because they are not harmed by the venom.
• In exchange for the ants guarding the asp caterpillars from predators and providing them with the sugars and amino acids released from the caterpillar's dorsal nectary organ, several species of asp caterpillars have a symbiotic connection with ants, according to AZ Animals.