The hairy caterpillar species, considered the most venomous in the United States, was recently sighted in Virginia.
The state forestry department warns residents of the danger and asks to avoid the so-called cat caterpillars or Megalopyge opercularis, which look soft and fluffy, but have hidden sharp spines that cause an extremely «painful reaction» when touched.
Symptoms experienced after contact with caterpillars may include severe pain, itchy rash, nausea, and vomiting.
So, last month, a woman from Richmond was already forced to go to the emergency room after touching a lepidoptera.
“It felt like a red-hot knife went through my calf,” recalls Crystal Spindle Gaston in an interview with Virginia Mercury.
Even after undergoing treatment with antihistamines and over-the-counter pain relievers, Gaston still felt “terrible pain,” akin, she says, to a second or third degree burn.
Dangerous caterpillars less than 2 inches in size feed on shady trees such as elm, oak, and sycamore and are commonly found in southern states, including Maryland and Texas.
