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Puss Moth Facts

Puss moth caterpillars (Megalopyge opercularis), of the order Lepidoptera, are also known as asps. They are one of the most toxic caterpillars in North America. Puss moth caterpillars are endemic to the southern US and live in shade trees and shrubbery around homes and schools and in parks.

Is puss moth poisonous?

This caterpillar is highly poisonous to humans. Its sting can cause severe skin rashes.

How long does puss moth live?

Megalopyge opercularis, also know as the puss moth or flannel moth, caterpillars spend the winter in cocoons attached to twigs then metomorphize into moths in late spring. The adult moths, with short lives of 5-7 days, deposit eggs on shrubs and trees; within days the larvae (caterpillars) emerge.

Can a puss moth fly?

How fast can a puss moth fly? Moths fly and make sense of their surroundings by their antennae.

Why is a puss moth called a puss moth?

The name puss caterpillar is likely in reference to the caterpillar’s resemblance to a cat with its soft fur and tail. The southern flannel moth was originally described by J. E. Smith (1797) and named Phalaena opercularis (common name, waved yellow egger moth).

Are Puss moths rare?

The Puss Moth, Cerura vinulais, is well recorded through most of the southern half of the British Isles becoming less common in the north. This distinctive nocturnal moth flies in a single generation between May and July when it is attracted to light.

What happens if you touch a puss caterpillar?

When a puss moth caterpillar rubs or is pressed against a person’s skin, its venomous hairs are embedded, usually causing severe burning and a rash. Pain usually subsides in about an hour. Occasionally, the reaction is more severe, causing swelling, nausea, and difficulty breathing.

What do Puss moths eat?

Fast Facts

As herbivores, they mainly eat leaves from trees such as poplar, sallow and willow. Their diet, means they are most likely to be found in habitats such as woodland, park areas or even in your back garden. The Puss moth lays a small numbers of eggs on their food plants.

What does a puss caterpillar eat?

Puss Caterpillars feed on various leaves and shrubs and often stay outside your home. But if you happen to have elm and oak trees around your property, you could be visited by these dangerous caterpillars. Puss Caterpillars are considered the most venomous caterpillars in the United States.

How big do Puss Moths get?

Cerura vinula has a wingspan of 58 millimetres (2.3 in) to 75 millimetres (3.0 in) the males are slightly smaller. The head, thorax, and body of these moths are very fluffy, with a cat-like appearance (hence the common English name puss moth).

Do a moth bite?

The vast majority of adult moths don’t have mouths and are incapable of biting anything, much less you. For the most part, they also don’t sting. However, moths begin life as larvae, called caterpillars, before they go through a metamorphosis process and emerge with wings.

Are puss caterpillars poisonous?

The furry puss caterpillar, the larval stage of the southern flannel moth, is one of the most poisonous caterpillars in the US. According to the Virginia Department of Forestry health team, these caterpillars have been spotted in the eastern part of the state.

Where do puss moth caterpillars live?

They are one of the most toxic caterpillars in North America. Puss moth caterpillars are endemic to the southern US and live in shade trees and shrubbery around homes and schools and in parks.

Why is it called puss caterpillar?

Description and Biology. Puss caterpillars, Megalopyge opercularis, are also called asp caterpillars because of their potent stings. They are called puss caterpillars because their thick, fluffy setae resemble the fur of a pussycat.

What is the most poisonous caterpillar?

The caterpillar has been responsible for many human deaths, especially in southern Brazil. Its venom has been the subject of numerous medical studies. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1855. Guinness World Records classified the Lonomia obliqua as the most venomous caterpillar in the world.

What is a fuzzy caterpillar?

Furry caterpillars are a fascinating type of insect that usually turn into moths. Most types of furry caterpillars feed on the leaves of plants and trees. Although many hairy caterpillars look scary, most are quite harmless.

How long does an ASP sting hurt?

Some experience nausea and vomiting, severe headaches, and even shock and respiratory stress. The pain tends to subside in less than an hour, and the spots will disappear within approximately a day.

Is caterpillar a butterfly?

Caterpillar: The Feeding Stage

This is also called a caterpillar if the insect is a butterfly or a moth. The job of the caterpillar is to eat and eat and eat. As the caterpillar grows it splits its skin and sheds it about 4 or 5 times. Food eaten at this time is stored and used later as an adult.

How painful is a puss caterpillar sting?

(Read more about venom in National Geographic magazine.) A puss caterpillar sting feels like a bee sting, only worse. The pain immediately and rapidly gets worse after being stung, and can even make your bones hurt, Hall said.

What caterpillars should you not touch?

AgriLife experts warn stinging caterpillars can cause contact rashes, painful reactions

Hickory tussock caterpillar. ( John Ghent, bugwood.org)
Puss caterpillar. ( AgriLife photo by Wizzie Brown)
Saddleback caterpillar. …
Spiny oak slug caterpillar. …
Io moth caterpillar. ( …
Buck moth caterpillar. (

Are fluffy caterpillars poisonous?

A fluffy caterpillar is one of the most venomous caterpillars in the United States. The puss caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis) has hidden toxic spines underneath its fur.

Can moths spit?

Moths and butterflies assemble their tube-like mouth parts with help from a self-made material: spit. The tubular proboscis that moths and butterflies use to sip nectar develops in two halves, which join up after the insects become adults.

Are puss caterpillars in Florida?

The species is found from New Jersey to Florida and west to Arkansas and Texas. It is common in Florida during the fall and spring on oak and elm trees. Mature puss caterpillars begin to spin their cocoons by making a thin framework of silk using their hair covering as support.

What are the fluffy moths?

Megalopygidae, known to mortals as the Flannel Moths are one of the most interesting, amazing and talked about moth family made up from 11 known species. From caterpillars to hatching as moths, these insect look like tiny fur-balls, hence the nickname of their larvae “puss caterpillars”.

Are moths blind?

Moths are not blind or even color blind. In fact, they have some of the more advanced visual prowess in the insect world as they are able to detect light and motion even at night.

Are moths poisonous to touch?

Moths and their larvae are generally not aggressive, so the best way to avoid them is to keep out of their way as much as possible. When you come across one, never touch or handle them. They are not poisonous to touch, but their spines can prick you and cause itching and other mild skin irritations.

Do moths eat human skin?

Domestic moths found in our homes have absolutely no interest in or even ability to bite people. In fact, out of all of the moth species, most moths have no mouth parts at all, or have atrophied or very basic mouths that cannot bite or chew. The larvae are the ones that munch on our clothing.

What does a Packsaddle turn into?

Acharia stimulea (Clemens) is a limacodid moth, or slug moth, best known for its larval growth phase. Distinct bright color patterns and the presence of venomous, urticating spines lead to its recognition as the saddleback caterpillar.

Are hairy worms poisonous?

Caterpillars covered with hair or bristles, with one exception, are rarely poisonous. The fuzzy-wuzzy caterpillar that predicts winter cold is not poisonous nor is the gypsy moth or your tent caterpillar.

Are puss caterpillars found in North Carolina?

The pus or puss caterpillar is another stinging caterpillar found in North Carolina. Resembling a small, slow moving brown toupee, this caterpillar is not nearly as attractive as a saddleback.

Do caterpillars shoot hairs?

Though most are harmless, the stinging caterpillars let you know they don’t like to be touched. Stinging caterpillars share a common defensive strategy to dissuade predators. All have urticating setae, which are barbed spines or hairs.

Can fuzzy caterpillars bite?

Woolly bear caterpillars lack stinging spines and do not bite. However, the hairs can easily break off into skin when touched, which will cause pain and irritation.

Are black fuzzy caterpillars poisonous?

Black and brown caterpillars such as the Woolly Bear aren’t poisonous or a stinging variety. Usually, handling one of these fuzzy worm-like creatures with their spiky tufts of hair may cause skin irritation or contact dermatitis. One characteristic of the Woolly Bear caterpillar is its defense mechanism.

Are black and orange fuzzy caterpillars poisonous?

Orange and black caterpillars are typically not poisonous and are safe to touch. Even though some furry black and orange caterpillars look dangerous due to their horns, bristles, prickly spines, or tufts of hairs, they don’t usually sting.

What is the black fuzzy caterpillar?

Habitat: The Woolly Bear (aka Banded Woolly Bear) can be found in The United States, Southern Canada, and Mexico. They are caterpillars of the Isabella Tiger Moth. The caterpillars have fuzzy looking bristles that are black on both ends and reddish brown in the middle.

What is an asp bug?

The best known flannel moth and stinging caterpillar in Texas is the southern flannel moth, or puss moth caterpillar, Megalopyge opercularis. In Texas these caterpillars are commonly known as asps. This caterpillar is often abundant and may infest shade trees and shrubbery around homes, schools, and in parks.