GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – Warmer weather often means more time outdoors, and more time outdoors can sometimes mean more run-ins with insects.
Some of those insects sting, though not always on purpose.
Eric LoPresti, an assistant professor of biological sciences at the University of South Carolina, says the sting of some caterpillars in SC can leave you in pain for weeks.
The caterpillar of the southern flannel moth is one of those insects. Nicknamed the “puss caterpillar,” it is covered in hair-like barbs full of venom.
Cute or not?(Kiley Stoj)
Moths and butterflies usually only have their adult, winged forms for a few weeks.
“Generally, caterpillars will be around for several months, potentially up to a year,” LoPresti says.
LoPresti says the stinging barbs of the puss caterpillar are not deadly or truly dangerous, but still extremely painful if touched.
“We reared them in the lab, and the students all thought they were the cutest things in the world,” LoPresti says. “Had to be sternly told not to touch them because of how much they sting, because they really are pretty adorable.”
LoPresti says stinging caterpillars are occasionally encountered when gardening or trimming trees.
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