As I’ve mentioned before, my parents live about 20 minutes out of town in the “country”. They have seventy acres of land split between them and three other families.
Despite the way it sounds, no, it’s not a compound. So don’t go reporting them to the FBI. Anyway, if you did, Mom and ’em could take ’em.
Not that it’s a compound.
But if it were, it would make a good one, because it is surrounded by a mountain on one side and a creek on the other three sides.
So, due to that, there is plenty of wildlife to go around. And with wildlife, of course, comes dangerous wildlife.
Sure, they’ve found snakes of all sizes, but not as often as you’d think. In fact, the most surprisingly poisonous creatures to be found have been. . . caterpillars.
Who knew? I always assumed that caterpillars were innocent little creatures. I had no idea that they could be so cruel and vindictive.
A couple of years ago, I got one of those hair-raising calls from my Dad: Your Mom’s in the ER, she’s been bit by something, nobody can figure out what, but she says that the pain is a “10” on a 1-10 scale, and no pain medicines are relieving it.
Mom had been picking up piles of brush that afternoon, and whatever stung or bit her did it on the inside of her arm, so it was assumed that it was in a pile of brush pressed up against her arm. Of course, they were thinking snake, but it didn’t look like any snake bite they’d seen before – it was a double row of red, raised dots, something akin to this:
Mom had to stay in the hospital overnight, and the doctors could never determine what stung her. However, one of her property-sharing neighbors did some research and they were able to determine without a doubt that it was the very unique sting of this creature:
The most poisonous caterpillar in the world, a Puss Caterpillar. According to www.bugsinthenews.com,
The larval stage of this insect is a small, wooly, pussycat-appearing caterpillar covered with rows of long, venomous spines embedded in a coat of soft, cuddly hairs. The toxin usually, but not always, produces an immediate onset of excruciating, unrelenting pain, radiating to the lymph nodes in the armpit or groin, and then to the chest. Though rarely a true medical emergency, these symptoms have the feel of a serious, life-threatening event. It is common for victims to visit emergency rooms.
The underside of the caterpillar looks like this:
And besides his tentacles under his fur, he stings with his toes, which is apparently what got Mom and left the double-dotted row of stings.
It took Mom quite a while to completely recover from the sting, and has since kept her eyes out for furry, sweet looking caterpillars.
Ali and I have spent several mornings in the past couple of weeks riding around in Mom’s new golf cart (purchased due to her latest injury, which happens to be only the second time I ever remember my Mom going to the ER) and picking blackberries, blueberries, (one) rasberry, and vegetables on the compound property.
On one of the jaunts, I was deep into a blackberry bush when my gloved hand brushed up against a HUGE and fascinating caterpillar. He was black with white spots, and then he had branch-like tentacles coming off of him, and in between those, he had starburst-like tentacles.
I had a rubber glove on to minimize the blackberry thorn injuries, so I pulled him off along with his branch to show him to Mom. We stuck him in a bowl, took him inside, and Googled him.
And guess what?
He is the SECOND most poisonous caterpillar in the world. Right behind the aforementioned Puss Caterpillar. . .
And you wanna know how freaky-homeschool-Mom my Mom really is? She kept him, made him a little home of blackberry branches, is feeding him bugs and misting him with water in hopes that he will spin himself into this:
Ew. I sure hope he doesn’t have the side effect of making Mom’s arms as hairy as whoever is holding THAT specimen.
So, to recap, I have now effectively ensured that none of you will ever want to visit my parents.
Oops. Sorry, Mom and Dad.
yep you have to watch out for the fuzzy caterpillars they can pack quite a punch. I was always told that when I was growing up and found out first hand how nasty they can be.
Although I should add what bit me was not either of those nasty caterpillars but another less poisonous fuzzy kind.
My mother is deathly afraid of caterpillars. Everyone thinks it's one of those silly irrational fears, but then most people don't know about Puss caterpillars either!
There sure are some nasty creepy crawlys living among us!
I had no idea! And my kids play with catapillars all the time. I will have to show them this.
Another day, another heatstroke…
Wow! Those are interesting-looking caterpillars! That actually makes me want to come out there and see what I can find. However, I would probably need to leave my youngest two at home, since David touches everything, and Amy Beth puts everything in her mouth – neither of which would be a good idea with poisonous caterpillars.
I will forever stay away from caterpillars!
Wow. I never knew caterpillars were poisonous.
I've seen that same black caterpillar and they creep me out! The only bug I don't mind is a dead bug, a ladybug or a roly poly.
A caterpillar that looked almost just like that second picture stung my daughter a few weeks ago. It hurt her for hours! We didn't go to the ER, but I had no idea they were actually poisonous! We ran across another one at Tannehill State Park yesterday and she wanted to squash it… I didn't let her though.
I've always hated caterpillars! But I've never liked butterflies either… They're both creepy!
Courtney
and now your parents lost their primary defense against the FBI's raid into their, um, not-compound. I think it's pretty sneaky of them to enlist the power of living creatures. . .not that it's a compound, of course.
Dude…I didn't even see the butterfly. I could not divert my eyes from the hairy body part. Ewww!
Weird! I had no idea that caterpillars could be poisionous! Yikes.nnn
I did not even know a caterpillar could bite. But, you know, I was not home-schooled. Let us know if it turns into a butterfly, and take pics. LYB
You could've posted a warning, about creepy crawlies, at the beginning of this post! lol My skin is crawling now.
I didn't know caterpillers could bite. Interesting.
seriously? caterpillars can sting? who knew?
Wow! Amazing and quite scary. Who knew?
April S.
Oh, and what's up with the hairy arm?
April S.
I was stung by a puss caterpillar a while back and my husband did not believe me that a "fuzzy worm" had stung me with its whole body. It actually left the shape of its body and it hurt worse than any sting or bug bite I've ever had. Stay away from these things! They are now in my top 5 things I am scared of.
Wow! That’s crazy!
Though it’s good to know your Mom wasn’t it mortal danger… I would have also gone to the emergency room if my pain was a 10. Eek!
I can’t believe that a cute, fluffy white caterpillar could be so dangerous! He looks like a little animal! It just goes to show that it’s usually the beautiful and interesting creatures that are the most dangerous of all. I was once stung by a tussock moth caterpillar as a child after aptly naming the creature ‘Fluffy’. I’ll definitely be more careful in future!