Observation date: March 06, 2017
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: This caterpillar was beginning to cross a dirt walking trail when I saw it. To keep it from being stepped on or run over, I tried to lift it with a twig to carry it to some brush on the other side of the trail where it would be safe, but it didn't want to hold onto the twig. As it fell off, it hit my left index finger and I was stung by a spine (or several spines). Within a minute or two, I had a whitish welt on my finger about the width of a pencil-top eraser. The welt dissipated within an hour or so and I thought no more about it until around midnight when it started to feel irritated again. If I press on the spot where the sting was, it feels very tender, like a bruise, but there is no tissue discoloration. I would really like to know what kind of caterpillar this is so I will know what to tell the doctor if I develop a sore or infection. [Nearby plants where the caterpillar was found include buckwheat and mustard.]
Status: Resident
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: July 22, 2024
Coordinator notes: All of the Hemileuca sp. have poisonous spines and should be handled carefully or not at all. The Automeris sp. as well. And there are others, too, such as the various slug moth caterpillars. You're correct in your ID of this sp., but you're very unlikely to suffer any long-term effects. JRains
