Today at lunch, Donna and I went to the library. As we were walking in, she noticed the prettiest little bug. He was about an inch long, a very vibrant orange, and fuzzy. Doesn't everyone want to pick up a fuzzy caterpillar? They're just so cute. So there we are, both of us bent over with our butts in the air. I had a piece of paper and was trying to pick it up. Puss was having none of that. He didn't like my paper. I reached down to push him, but Donna thought maybe we shouldn't touch him.
This is what her in depth research found: The best known flannel moth and stinging caterpillar in Texas is the puss moth caterpillar, Megalopyge opercularis, commonly called an "asp". This is one of the most toxic caterpillars in North America.
Puss moth caterpillars are teardrop-shaped, and, with their long, silky hairs, resemble a tuft of cotton or fur. Their color varies from yellow or gray to reddish-brown, or a mixture of colors.
Puss moth caterpillars can pose a genuine health hazard. Intense, throbbing pain develops immediately or within five minutes of contact with the caterpillar. Symptoms can include headaches, nausea, vomiting, intense abdominal distress, lymphadenopathy, lymphadenitis, and sometimes shock or respiratory stress. For severe pain, morphine is suggested.
I'm thinking, if we'd've touched him, maybe we wouldn't've had to go back to work....
1 comment:
Maybe you should go back and see if it is still there. Maybe you could get a week vacation.
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