Florida Will Be Full Of Puss Caterpillars This Fall & It's The Most Venomous Insect In The US
It looks fluffy on the outside, but there are venomous spines hidden between its hairs.
The puss caterpillar on a branch. Right: The puss caterpillar on a branch.
Not only is Florida home to the deadliest tree in the world, but also the most venomous insect in the U.S. It's called the puss caterpillar, and, according to the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida, it really can make a mark.
They are more common in the Sunshine State in the Fall and Spring, and one was found in the Central region in Clermont, Fox35 Orlando reported on Monday.
The small animal looks fluffy on the outside, but there are venomous spines hidden between its hairs. The toxic spines will stick to your skin and be incredibly painful throughout the body.
One woman named Julie London posted on Twitter yesterday that she actually came in contact with one.
"A bite by a puss caterpillar is the same as getting stung by a stingray. I experienced both. Used rubbing alcohol on the puss. Thought I was going to die," she said.
\u201cA bite by a puss caterpillar is the same as getting stung by a stingray. I experienced both. Used rubbing alcohol on the puss. Thought I was going to die. #DGL\u201d— Julie London Ferguson (@Julie London Ferguson) 1662490288
The FWC says the only things that can make the pain subside are getting the spines out of your skin as soon as you can with cellophane tape and using an ice pack, an oral antihistamine and hydrocortisone cream to soothe the area.
London replied to her tweet saying that nothing actually helped the pain at all and that it was a scary moment for her.
They are typically found on twigs branches and tree barks. Some might form a cocoon at a nearby building.
These creatures can also be found in states from New York to New Jersey and Arkansas west to Texas.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.