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| A very well-hidden catepillar |
On the dikes at Caw Caw Interpretive Center, the woody species range from oaks, pines, cedar and myrtles. On a warm afternoon in September 2017, I was checking for evidence of caterpillar activity. There are a lot of cool mature caterpillars around at this time of year. Many leaves were chewed up and several branches were even defoliated. On this day, it seemed the caterpillars had either moved on to the next life stage or weren't visible to me. I quickly was distracted by a tight clump of oak and pine that was especially active with several buzzy insects. I saw a cuckoo wasp (it's bright blue) among other wasp species, bees, and a type of assassin bug. This assassin bug gave me pause because I don't know what it is (I haven't investigated it yet either). Several insects buzzed past my head checking out the intruder (me). I tried to get a closer look at a few of them, but my attention was quickly taken by something fuzzy.
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| Unknown species of assasin bug |
On the underside of an oak branch, was a peach colored patch of fuzz. It was elongate. It went from being very rounded at one end to coming to a pointed tip at the other. It reminded me of a cat or a orange toupee. I knew almost immediately what it was. I'd read about this caterpillar before. Through various books, educational magazines, and classes, I've learned about the venomous caterpillars in the southeastern US. Fortunately, I knew not to touch it.
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| Flannel moth caterpillar/ Puss caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis) |
Very carefully moving branches away, I got closer. Since several caterpillars can live in the same area, caution was critical to make sure I did not get stung by a better hidden caterpillar. Venomous caterpillars can have a pretty intense sting. Doctor visits and hospitalizations are not unheard of. The University of Florida has a very thorough article describing these organisms (http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/Creatures/MISC/MOTHS/puss.htm). They describe how venom is injected through hollow spines on the sides and back of the animal. The venom can cause extreme pain, radiating to the bone, for up to 12 hours. It has been described as setting your skin on fire and can even cause convulsions in some people. It is one of the most venomous caterpillars in North America.
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| Flannel moth caterpillar/ Puss caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis) |
Why are these caterpillars so venomous? What even eats these caterpillars? Referring back to the aforementioned article, there are several predators that feed on puss caterpillars. Anoles are the only vertebrate mentioned, however. Other predators include tachinid flies, ichneumonid wasps, and other invertebrates. They can be heavily parasitized by these other insects, up to 50% in one study. They actually have a few behaviors, besides the venom, that can help them go undetected. They shoot their poop! They launch their feces! They say scat to their frass! They literally propel their feces away from themselves. Birds are known to take "diapers" of baby bird poop away from the nest to prevent predator detection. It appears the puss caterpillar is doing a similar thing, or maybe it's just trying to keep its food clean. All this work (and more!) to remain undetected, and ultimately, uneaten. It makes me think... maybe these caterpillars are actually delicious. I hope we never find out.
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