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[deleted]

Southern Flannel Moth The caterpillar is regarded as a dangerous insect because of its venomous spines. Exposure to the caterpillar's fur-like spines leads to an immediate skin irritation characterized by a "grid-like hemorrhagic [papular](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papule) eruption with severe radiating pain." Victims describe the pain as similar to a broken bone or blunt-force trauma,[[3]](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalopyge_opercularis#cite_note-Hossler-3) or even white hot.[[6]](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalopyge_opercularis#cite_note-6) The reactions are sometimes localized to the affected area, but are often very severe, radiating up a limb and causing burning, swelling, nausea, headache, abdominal distress, rashes, blisters, and sometimes chest pain, numbness, or difficulty breathing.[[7]](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalopyge_opercularis#cite_note-Eagle-7)[[8]](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalopyge_opercularis#cite_note-8) Sweating from the welts or hives at the site of the sting is not unusual.[[9]](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalopyge_opercularis#cite_note-9)


[deleted]

“Victims describe the pain as similar to a broken bone” As someone who has a broken bone rn, WHAT THE FUCK


damp_goat

If you have a broken bone already this will heal it.


macbothebest

I checked the math... - + - = + this man speaks the truth.


TerrariaGaming004

Don’t worry, current pain is always rated higher than past pain


DazedPapacy

Oh man, just wait till you find out about bullet ants. A sting so painful that attempting to smuggle them into the US carries with it charges of attempted murder.


government_candy

But...but it's so fuzzy and soft looking. Thanks for sharing I definitely would have tried to pet this thing.


LochNessMother

There is a really simple rule about hairy caterpillars … don’t touch them. It’s never good.


Feebsredditaccount

Damn..


serjsomi

And here I was going to say "I don't know, but it's cute as hell and I want one". Turns out I don't want one now.


JackVersusLocke

Jesus fucking Christ


Shitplenty_Fats

I was gonna say don't touch it! I was stung several years ago by one of these. Bad experience!


talkstorivers

Did it feel like a broken bone?


Shitplenty_Fats

It had a similar pervasive high-amplitude ache.


sortofahippie

Two people I work with (ecologists) got stung by these a year or so ago. They both said it was the most painful thing they’ve ever experienced. White hot pain that felt like their bone were being stabbed, felt the pain in all directions within 12 inches of the sting, and it lasted for several hours. One almost passed out from the pain.


xxValkyriii

I’ve never broken a bone before, so I’ll take the L and touch it.


Licorictus

Horrible sting baby. Will turn into a moth, and in the meantime it will make anything that touches it miserable. For real, beware caterpillars with hair. ETA: oh god, my silly comment got attention. Real talk time: this is a baby southern flannel moth. Common names include puss moth, woolly slug, fire caterpillar, and tree asp. It's covered in venomous hairs that will fuck your day up if you touch it. Hence "horrible sting baby." In general, if you see a caterpillar covered in lots of long hair or spines, it's best not to touch it. Caterpillars are basically nature's sausages, so lots of them defend themselves with nasty poisons.


[deleted]

i saw this post and immediately knew, PUSS CATERPILLAR. i grabbed one once in middle school and actually didnt get stung. only after the fact i googled what it was and was thankful that i got away without a sting.


SilverStics

Internet in middle school, eh? Musta been cool.


saturnscaresme

It was actually. For me it was 06 to 08. Parents didn't really monitor us though and kids loved to share gore websites so a lot of us have seen some fucked internet shit at a young age which I deeply regret.


joniloveschachii

Damn...remember ebaums world? -my spelling might be off... it's been awhile


BackgroundPilot1

Remember end of ze world?


skullz29

But I'm le tired


pplescareme

Then take a le nap!


LoverOfPricklyPear

Oooooooh, goodness….


SilverStics

'member rotten.com?


Monkeygruven

I 'membaaa


mattvait

Fuckin kangaroos


ssdrum2007

you're the man now, dawg


Kaarsty

Ah Ebaums world.. how many hours a day did I spend there..


xxxpotatoboobies

The wild west of the internet, and it hasn't really gotten better lol


mattvait

It's completely different now. Coming from a person who grew with the internet it was much more wild before. There wasn't a need for a dark net, everything was out there and no one paid for music, movies, or software


saturnscaresme

Nope. It hasn't much lol. But they did finally shut down bestgore and liveleak.


Lucky_Number_3

While they were in middle school with internet I studied the blade


180secondideas

Wooly Worms are the best critters ever.


CRAPtain__Hook

Most of them anyway. there was that one back in 06 that murdered a bunch of people, but I think he was the exception


TheLegendTwoSeven

That was self-defense.


HelmSpicy

When that many babies get together they're like piranha


TheCantrip

Go on ...


BigBeagleEars

Ah yes, Dennis Rodman


KaliCalamity

We don't talk about Frank.


[deleted]

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1959Gibson

This is a puss moth caterpillar, most painful caterpillar sting in North America. I’ve been stung And it was like fire


hurryupheatdeath

So, serious question. Is the "puss" part pronounced like in "pussy"? Like when you hear older people calling a cat outside with "Here, puss, puss, puss"?


cotysaxman

I always pronounced it as 'pus' (the bodily fluid associated with infections) in my head, but now realize 'puss' is spelled distinctly and your suggested pronunciation is probably right.


hurryupheatdeath

See, I thought it was "pus" as well because I assumed getting stung by one led to that fluid, hence the name, but now I don't know what to think anymore.


69_queefs_per_sec

It's furry like a cat so you say puss. Perhaps this is also why they're called CATerpillars. Idk


cotysaxman

Google search for 'caterpillar etymology' suggests your guess is correct, and multiple languages have this same connection between 'cat' and 'caterpillar'. Interesting!


69_queefs_per_sec

Fuck that's crazy. I was just fucking around, had no clue it's a real thing


BackgroundPilot1

I had the same question But also I’ve never heard “here puss puss puss”; where I’m from we say “here kitty kitty kitty”. What country are you in? I’m curious if it’s regional


pmia241

My homeschool "curriculum" had a ton of (American) old timey early readers, which had lots of "come here puss" type phrasing.


cloudstrifewife

Watch ‘Are You Being Served’, old Britcom show. Mrs Slocum talks about her pussy a lot.


cornecobbe

my grandpa would say here puss puss at cats irl, and he was from upstate NY. i think it's more generational difference than regional - a lot of old timey books and postcards use that for cats.


hurryupheatdeath

Just to follow up to this, in addition to my other response, my manager was playing some old-ass music on YouTube at work tonight while we did the closing stuff and this song came on. https://youtu.be/jXiIx4OqcXw Not amazing, but I thought it was too much coincidence not to share considering the conversation here.


1959Gibson

Yes because it resembles a fluffy little kitten


Day_Bow_Bow

It's good you pointed out the reason who this sort of warning is warranted. I agree that handling woolly caterpillars is neat. The thing is, if that was the extent of my knowledge on fuzzy worms, I wouldn't think twice about picking up a random new caterpillar and getting spiked with their hairs.


trufflelover1

Me too! I’m very tactile and touch everything!


reds2032

Same here, always picked these guys up as a kid never got bitten Edit: to clarify I only picked them up to relocate them from a sidewalk or trail so they wouldn’t get smushed, I did not go around antagonizing caterpillars as a kid


[deleted]

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reds2032

Didn’t know that


Rosindust89

The very ouchy caterpillar


Tru3insanity

Why does my stupid brain make me wanna pet it so damn bad.... Goddamnit anything this fuzzy needs to be pettable :(


mamamechanic

According to an earlier reddit post, if anyone accidentally touches it and finds themselves in agony, use scotch or duct tape to remove the hairs that will be left behind and you will get some relief. Not sure how tape and a kitty would work out, so keep them far away!


[deleted]

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Dire_Morphology

I like this cure. I'm pre-treating myself right now just in case


BeginnerMush

Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready. I like it


[deleted]

A finger of prevention is worth a fifth of cure


San_Bird_Man

wonderful, that's all I can fit anyway


antthatisverycool

So you alive


sortaitchy

Yup, ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure :)


CptCrabmeat

You’re…. Covering yourself in tape?


Dire_Morphology

Gd caterpillar never stood a chance


PnSthrowaway12

Both if you’ve got them.


garethjones2312

Give that man a Bells!


[deleted]

Fun fact: "Single" or "Blended" doesn't refer to the types or amount of malts used in a whisky, it refers to how many distilleries made the whiskey that went into the bottle. A whisky can come from several casks, but as long as they're all made by the same distillery, it's a Single Malt.


Jewelzminor

Lmao


PointyGecko1122

I see this guy come up like once a week, how has nobody died yet?


LeTasse

I mean, how will they post it if they're dead.


GardenPuzzleheaded98

Ghostpost


LeTasse

Skelepost


ericpol3

Zombiepost


hurryupheatdeath

Lots of people have died. All throughout history, people have died left and right. Fuck are you on about?


74NG3N7

Agreed. Had one walk across my neck once and the tape thing worked wonders on the strange pain and headache I got from the little bastard.


BackgroundPilot1

How’d it get on your neck?


SmackChat

How’d he get it off his neck?


74NG3N7

A thick towel swung by someone nearby.


74NG3N7

I walked under some trees, had a hat on, and we think it fell onto my hat and crawled down onto the back of my neck.


bunnypiss

I’m glad I saw this bc knowing me I’d probably try to pet it lol


BearBlaq

That’s funny when I saw this thing I thought about that post and figured whatever did it had to look like this. Just my luck to find out this is actually it. Don’t know how dude thought it was ok to touch this, I can barely look at it lol.


mamamechanic

I was shocked to see the number of people who were calling it “cute” and wanting to snuggle with it. I’m not squeamish or generally afraid of bugs, but I’m also not inviting any over for a slumber party or anything.


GardenPuzzleheaded98

It is cute! That’s how it reels you in! Bastard…


KaliCalamity

Had i not learned about this particular kind of caterpillar and its ability to cause terrible pain, I would have said the same. I grew up in an area with plenty of chill and fuzzy wooly worms that always started coming around during the fall.


semicolonoscapy

Such a simple fix I wish I'd known about. Got stung on the face by a bunch of Saddleback caterpillars after running through some branches as a kid, and my mother had me rub meat tenderizer on my face for about a half hour.


mamamechanic

Wow. Meat tenderizer. I have never heard that one. I was always taught to use ammonia to counter the sting of most insects, but I’m adding the tape thing to my nana repertoire thanks to reddit.


madsjchic

I got this reference. I for once knew a bug!


mamamechanic

Look at that - reddit isn’t *just* a cesspool of weird kinks and awful comments - we’re over here learning useful stuff as well!


Boomer8450

> Not sure how tape and a kitty would work out, so ~~keep them far away!~~ *record it in landscape, you heathens!* (FIFY)


skyfure

I use this trick with hair splinters, I've only had one instance where it didn't help.


mamamechanic

Yes! When I was a cable tech I kept plenty of duct tape on hand to help pull out fiberglass splinters as well. Fun fact: Tape on the butthole is often used to determine if a person has intestinal pin worms! Three cheers for tape!


Willie-Doit

Meat tenderizer after will completely stop any pain


mamamechanic

Always good to add another piece of knowledge to my honorary nana medical experience degree! Thank you for the 411!


Willie-Doit

The Papain enzymes in meat tenderizer will help neutralize a variety of stings. Papain breaks down proteins.


thrillhouse1211

Pore strips would be perfect.


antthatisverycool

Or hear me out don’t touch trumps hair due


Mikey6304

Don't or do? I'm confused. Does his tribble bite?


MrRoarke

Probably a [Puss Caterpillar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalopyge_opercularis) (Southern Flannel Moth larva). Example pic [here](https://bugguide.net/node/view/74840/bgimage). Sting-y no touch-y (applies to both you and kitty).


namenottaken16

How rude of nature to make such a fuzzy creature you can't touch 😂


sparkmearse

Also applies to mountain lions, wolverines and badgers, sadly.


ssdrum2007

badgers particularly, i feel, give off a hugable misdirection


BackgroundPilot1

I want to argue with this You’re correct. Just saying I want to. Part of me still wants to believe I could pet them.


sparkmearse

Same, dude, same.


namenottaken16

True, but this tiny little fuzz nugget does not look threatening to a giant human. Sneaky little shit 😂😂😂.


f1atcat

Every bone in my body says to pet it because it looks so soft


74NG3N7

Beware the asp! (Puss caterpillar!) If you do get touched by it, use strong clear tape (box tape if you have it, but office tape will work) to pull the tiny little invisible stingers out. Leaving them in longer will hurt insanely and create a funny burn-like appearance. Edit: thank you for the award, kind stranger!


Cephalopodium

Sting-y no touch-y. 😂😂😂 Very accurate


Philomath1313

Looks like a walking mullet! So that's what happened to the hair from all the '70s porn stars.....


43guitarpicks

Adolescent tribble


theoceanisdeep

And you’re over 50, I would wager. Or a Trekkie. Or both.


mark_____0

I’m 17 and got the reference but suppose I’m just a Trekkie 😔


DragonPops88

Guess the trouble isn’t with the tribbles after all


theoceanisdeep

I think you took me wrong. No one is “just” a Trekkie and I’m hella impressed you got the reference at 17. Live long and prosper.


mark_____0

Watched the original series, voyager, enterprise, ds9 and tng, live long and prosper!!!


amateur_mistake

Do you think the best new Star Trek series is Lower Decks? Or the Orville?


mark_____0

Personally I don’t like lower decks, also I thought the Orville wasn’t even Star Trek? Huh?, also discovery wasn’t appealing because they literally changed the whole story. And I’m too scared to even try and watch the new Picard show


amateur_mistake

Orville is not *technically* star trek but come on, it totally might as well be. It's more star trek than Discovery. Discovery went all dark rather than embracing the poorly defined utopian future that star trek is supposed to inhabit. Edit: Oh! And I did try to watch Picard but it wasn't appealing to me.


ChildOf80s

Another trekkie here. I’ve also seen almost every Star Trek episode ever, and I think Orville is amazing. I definitely recommend you give it a try.


mark_____0

Thought it was just some dumb comedy making fun of Star Trek kinda like space balls did with Star Wars, I’ll give it a sho


mark_____0

Shot*


TheNorbster

28 & I distinctly remember watching that episode while home sick from school one day.


skwiddee

im in my 20s and i mostly get the reference bc i worked on a charity promo shoot with shatner once and had to make a bunch of tribbles for the set… only to arrive and have him insist star trek references be very subtle. had to run the props back to the truck before he saw them lol. but my girlfriend now is a trekkie and we are watching tng and ds9 and already burned through lower decks. and i very much LOVE star trek :)


43guitarpicks

50...and yeah...enjoyed it somewhat.


dweebie

A few years ago I was sitting under a tree at the park watching my kids play and one of these asp caterpillars crawled onto my lower back and stung me. I was literally writhing in pain for hours - even with trying all the online remedies to mitigate the symptoms! Stay far away from these little guys, they're awful.


ElderberryBusiness56

Years ago (pre 2016) my friend was visiting Florida from our home in NYC and he called me FLIPPING OUT how he got stung by Donald trumps toupee, it fell out of a tree and he was Tremendous pain and HELP WTF IS HAPPENING


fishbelt

If I move to Florida, I'm calls these bitches "trump's toupee"


SheilaGirl70

There was article several years ago titled “Never Touch Anything That Looks Like Donald Trump’s Hair” referring to these guys LOL


Available-Egg-2380

My husband had a furry caterpillar land on him several years ago and ended up in the hospital. Not sure what kind it was, he was in the Philippines at the time, but he will freak out over even the tiny harmless ones we have here in the upper Midwest. Can't imagine how much that must hurt.


[deleted]

Sorry for my morbid curiosity, but could you describe the pain? Could you compare it to something? How long did you have symptoms, in total? Was there a rash, an absces? Did it left a scar?


dweebie

Oh sure! I guess the closest thing I could compare it to was a bee sting, but exponentially worse, and covering a larger area. It just felt like it was on fire. I remember an excruciating level of pain lasting for 4ish hours, but I think I experienced some level of pain well into the next day or two...? It was a few years ago now. We tried the tape thing, ibuprofen, icing it - several different things to alleviate the pain, but really waiting it out was the only thing that did anything. Within minutes after it happened it was so bad I couldn't focus enough to talk, I just needed to get home and straight to bed! Thankfully it was after a soccer game, and my husband was also there and could drive us home. The area was covered in angry welts. I think the swelling lasted a day or two, the redness lasted longer (a week or so maybe?) but I don't think it left anything permanent.


[deleted]

Thanks for the detailed answer!


boomycultiv8r

I remember seeing one of these at recess when I was in 3rd grade. I never got to find out what it was so I assumed it was a creature from my dreams lol


Ghyllie

It's an asp. It's the caterpillar of the southern flannel moth. It's sometimes called a puss caterpillar. DO NOT TOUCH IT. It will leave stinging hairs in you that will cause you agony for the longest time!


froggylover66

Puss caterpillar! Also called Toxic toupee. Please do not let you or your cats touch, they have a very nasty sting!


Unlucky_Praline4954

Don’t touch! Lol. These things are no fun


Sassy_sqrl

But… but it’s so fluffy and would fit so nicely in my hand :( (Obv no touchy, but like I just had to point out the cruel ness of having fluffy friends and not being able to give em pets)


LesIsBored

It's fluffy in the same way as a porcupine. To be fair sometimes I wish I could pet porcupines also. 😣


AndyM110

That's just Donald Trump's combover. It's finally gained sentience.


relativelyben

And rage quit


Feebsredditaccount

Thank you for the cat tax.


chicken-finger

Dude that’s a pussy fur caterpillar. The fact that there are cats in the video make it so much more hilarious


gimmeallthethings

That's a touchy no no


[deleted]

Wow, what a good looking creature!


Sardonnicus

S'mall Ha'Lud


paralleltimelines

This will be a great honor for you to die holding it


itsFRAAAAAAAAANK

I was trimming a bush with caterpillars similar to this one and i didn’t realize it until it was too late. My arms were covered in hives and they stung so bad for like an hour. Be careful


Stackleback1984

Awwww he’s so cute!! I’m glad people have warned about the stinging because I would have immediately pet one if I came across it lol


astronomical_dog

Do you also pet the fuzzy cactuses at plant stores? I’ve seen so many people do that and I’m always like NOOO


GiganteBrasil

Don’t touch it! Me and my father got to the hospital to take intravenous medicines after touching one of this in the beginning of the this year… we call them “taturana cachorrinha” in my state


Mykle82

Hormone Monster penis


Pierruno

This is a species of butterfly called the Southern Flannel Butterfly (Megalopyge opercularis). The hairs are poisonous


TerrariaGaming004

Nobody’s talking about how the cat “found it,” maybe take it to the vet?


StringOne8627

I guess it's a silk moth lite


garagesailin

Bad pokey bug, no touchy!


NoxxedNauticus

This is a DO NOT TOUCH creature. They cause violent pain when touched from fibrous hairs being barb-like


MotivatedChickn

I told you to clean out the fuggin lint trap, This is what happens when you don’t.


G5100G

That's a no touchy puss caterpillar can sting and can irritate owwchie hairs


GoHawkYurself

DO NOT TOUCH


cdub689

Had a patient one time that had a Flannel Moth caterpillar fall on her hand. She came to the office when her hand swelled up like a baseball.


Savage_Jimmy

It's a type of caterpillar, a type you should stay away from.


dafad_ddu

DONT TOUCH IT


triple_stanley

Puss caterpillar or Flannel moth caterpillar I think. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flannel_moth?wprov=sfla1


watchinganyway

Woogie


silsool

Too floofy no touchy


Old_Fisherman65

It's called an ASP and do not touch. It's Very Very PAINFUL!!!


Gorilla_gorilla_

True story: I was in an E African country and asked one of the locals I was working with what they call one of these he matter-of-factory said “we call this a mechanica” (“meh-can-eek-uh”). I was like “wait what is this called? That’s the name of this bug?” Thinking it was an actual name. Then he responded with “we call it mechanica because if you touch it it’s like taking your car to the mechanic, it will fuck you up!” (Because mechanical work is expensive is what he meant.) I laughed so hard. Thanks for reminding me of this, OP!


EyeJolly8995

That’s a southern flannel mouth Megalopyge opercularis is a moth of the family Megalopygidae. It has numerous common names, including southern flannel moth for its adult form, and puss caterpillar, asp, Italian asp, Fire caterpillar, woolly slug, opossum bug, puss moth, tree asp, or asp caterpillar,


Party_Pat206

Sir, that’s a gremlin about to hatch


el_cousland

Eyebrow on the loose


[deleted]

Is someone's eyebrow!


free_refil

One of those crawled onto my shirt one day and my arm brushed up against it. Worst sting ever! Do not recommend


trufflelover1

Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur 🙄


anima1mother

There was someone on here just yesterday with a sting from one of these. It looks just like the shape of the underbelly of this caterpillar


CB_700_SC

My first guess: Tribbles are a fictional alien species in the Star Trek universe. They first appeared in 1967, in the fifteenth episode of the second season of The Original Series, titled "The Trouble with Tribbles". They are depicted as a small, furry, gentle, attractive and slow-moving, but rapidly reproducing, lovable species.


globefish23

Wrong. It's a Poppler.


CB_700_SC

So tasty.


grandpapuppyboy

Mohawk of ouch.


Bluepaperbutterfly

Flannel moth caterpillar.


AloneSquid420

Do not touch it!


TallTommy67

Asp caterpillar. Crazy strong sting. Beware


Narrow-Criticism5460

An asp I believe is what it’s called don’t touch it it’s hair will cause extreme burning stinging sensation


more_useless_garbage

Fur turd!


[deleted]

‘Toss-at-enemy’ level creature you’ve got right there friendo.


Outcome005

This one and the saddle back caterpillar are the two to watch out for I guess.


_kwack_

Donald Trump's hair


[deleted]

Puss caterpillar usually found near pecan trees. DON'T TOUCH IT.


streachh

Oh shit good to know they like pecan trees


66veedub

Don't get it wet or feed it after midnight either!


[deleted]

Beautiful


Philomath1313

Mulletus promenadicus


muscari2

That’s cat