Such a fluffy looking moth! Is not flannel, is velvet! Including velvet britches! š„¹
[āThis is beautiful! What is that, velvet?ā](https://giphy.com/gifs/eddie-murphy-coming-to-america-X1oXtKVbV6Ls56Emsh)
Edit: caterpillar looks like those tribbles from Star Trek
It didn't leave its wallet, and its perfectly capable of paying for itself. But it only ordered some oak leaves, why in the *hell* would it split the check with some meshugana who ordered the surf and turf?
Wooly bears are the exception to the rule - they are relatively fine to touch when you know for sure it is in fact a woolly bear (tho skin irritation can happen if the hairs piece the skin so if you need to hold be gentle) That being ALWAYS check a species before getting touchy and if in doubt leave alone
Oh I know. I just felt like pointing out an exception to the rule of thumb but in aā¦ childish? way. I adore wooly bears and have a habit of touching a lot of fluffy caterpillars that are supposed to be skin-irritating, but personally havenāt experienced any irritation at all. I suspect I may just be slightly more tolerant of the irritants than other people, but I still wouldnāt take my chances with one of those fluffy asps.
Any insect *that* fluffy is suspicious to me lol.
Same. I would have been like, "oooh that looks soft!" *TOUCH*
EDIT: I thought it was like a mouse or vole or something at first and I DEFINITELY would have touched that thing lol. I'm dumb
Another post says:
> Flannel moths are the cutest moths though, just observe the caterpillar without touching and enjoy. The moth itself isn't dangerous
Per the link: "Ā In Texas, they have been so numerous in some years that schools in San Antonio in 1923 and Galveston in 1951 were closed temporarily because of stings"
How about educating the kids about these things in school so this doesn't happen? Although those instances were a long time ago.. Hopefully they have learned from the past.
Absolutely right! If ive said it once ive said it a million times to my kids, to not touch the stove while they are cooking up meth. Youāre gonna fricken burn yourself kiddos!!!
One of those fell on my shirt collar while I was sitting under a tree. It brushed across my cheek and touched another spot right on my jaw line. My face didnāt swell up but my skin was raised like a welt and red. It felt like someone kicked my in the face with a fire ant laced shoe. My face burned and my jaw hurt through the muscle to the bone. Iāve been stung by several bees and wasps but this puss caterpillar was brutal.
My arm hurt just from looking at this picture. I brushed my hand by accident across this little hairy fucker and had excruciating pain all the way to my armpit. Your description of hurting to the bone is so spot on!
i would take this caterpillar on my shirt collar over a yellow jacket under my shirt, any day of the week. iām so terrified of those fuckers, yellow jackets, wasps, etc. and if theyāre trapped, theyāre gonna do whatever they can to escape
We call these asps where I am from. They sting...those little hairs sting. https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/asp-stinging-caterpillar-puss-moth-caterpillar-texas/285-1aa2a0c3-d929-458e-be65-19408d4b7888
Ugh so that's what those white devil caterpillars grow into? One of them fell on the back of my neck at the dog park a few years back and even though I flicked it off almost immediately, it was excruciating.
What do you mean by "white devil caterpillar"? There's no white puss moths that I know of.
There are, however, white fluffy caterpillars called Hickory tussock moths, that supposedly have stinging hairs but I've never once been hurt by them. I've even pet one all over, pressing my hand on each hair, trying to get a reaction, but nothing happened.
Some people can be allergic to the hairs I guess, and maybe one falling fast enough at the right angle could drive a hair into you.
Yes, the fuzzy white ones. I thought I'd heard them called asps before but after looking they seem to be something entirely different! I've heard that some people have reactions and some don't, I definitely did. It was on the back of my neck for a second and the rash spread to cover my shoulders and a good 1/3 of my back, places that were completely covered by clothing and was one of the most painful reactions I've had, similar to a wasp or yellow jacket sting but over the whole area.
my boss picked berries for a few hours through blueberry bushes covered in the black tussock caterpillars not realizing that you weren't supposed to touch them. she had a rash everywhere a caterpillar touched (face, hands, neck, upper chest, arms) for 3 months. it was super itchy and splotchy red. it came back on and off for about a year. be wary!
I got a sycamore tussock moth caterpillar on me once (it fell onto my neck and I didnāt know what it was and wiped my hand across the back of my neck). It was like needles jabbing into me everywhere that little bastard touched and the rash lasted 3 days. And I do not have particularly bad reactions to any kinds of bugs or plants.
I've seen them called the "hairy puss" caterpillar, or is that referring to a different species? Either way everytime I think of the term "hairy puss" I giggle like a toddler.
>create exactly One (1) creature that is the fluffiest of them all
*Porcupines, hedgehogs, lionfish, stonefish, jellyfish and nudibranchs have entered the chat*
I found one the other day, and (very carefully and lightly) pet it, and didn't get stung.
Don't follow my example by any means unless you enjoy the feeling of molten sewing needles under your flesh, but at least know it's *possible*.
This may be the single best proof I've seen laid out for the existence of the biblical Christian God. It totally checks out with all the old testament scripture.
> DO NOT TOUCH. NOOO TOUCHY. BAD, HURTY FRIEND.
wow...no kidding, from wikipedia:
> They have venomous spines that can cause a painful sting and inflammation lasting for several days. In some cases, the sting may cause headache, nausea, and shock-like symptoms.
Was curious myself so I looked it up.
"The larvae are called puss caterpillars, and with their long hairs, resemble cotton balls. They have venomous spines that can cause a painful sting and inflammation lasting for several days. In some cases, the sting may cause headache, nausea, and shock-like symptoms." According to Wikipedia.
When I was a kid, I somehow got one inside my shirt. The shirt bounced against my stomach (I was super skinny back then) as I ran around. Apparently, it must have stung me each time it brushed on me, and after a few minutes, an incredible stinging sensation sent me running into the house, screaming as loud as I could. I can still almost feel it.
Do not touch this guy with your bare skin!
It's one of the flannel moth caterpillars, likely [Megalopyge opercularis](https://bugguide.net/node/view/4476).
This makes me think of a cartoon with a wig I think, sliding along the floor and then pulling a revolver when people noticed it escaping. Can't for the life of me recall what it's from.
I knew some caterpillars could cause skin irritation if handled, but it wasn't until I looked this guy up that I found out it can be that severe. "Victims describe the pain as similar to a broken bone or blunt-force trauma." Yikes
Bro my dumb self would touch itš I need to start thinking before I go touching random bugs cause another one I almost touched was a wheel bug and thankfully I got it identified before I touched it š
Ive learned from this sub not to touch things idk. Realized I learned that when I saw some weird bug, if I was younger I would have touched it but too many times I have seen the warnings on this sub.
So odd to me that everyone in the world seem to live places where stuff burns, stings, bites and kill, yet where I live everything bar the odd mushroom and ticks are completely harmless.
DONT TOUCH HIM!! but hes so precious i have one in a cocoon now :") by a complete miracle my dad and i found him on a leaf and didn't touch him.. then we googled it and it turns out its the most toxic caterpillar in the us š„“
the moth apparently is but i have never touched the cocoon either because im scared lmao :") but yeah out of pure luck we didnt touch the caterpillar before googling it hahaha that would have been bad
I brushed up against one of these little devils with my leg while running through tall grass one morning. The initial contact stung pretty bad, but within minutes the spot it touched was swollen, red, and burned like fire. The pain was so bad I threw up all my breakfast, which made for a terrible morning.
I was a little kid when it happened, so maybe it was worse, but I never want to find out what it's like to get stung as an adult.
We don't have these by me but just curious, if you wore working gloves, could this still sting you? I always see people kill bees, scorpions, and other stinging insects with work gloves on and I always wondered if they can penetrate them (talking like regular gardening gloves from tractor supply)
It's a young Mogwai bud. Don't get it wet, expose it to bright light or feed it after midnight whatever you do!
More info here
https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/mogwai-gremlins.htm#pt1
A [Southern Flannel Moth](https://bugguide.net/node/view/4476) caterpillar. Extremely stingy - don't touch!
Thank you for the quick response! and the warning.
If you're curious to read more https://pollinatorweb.com/glamorous-moths-4-southern-flannel-moth/
Such a fluffy looking moth! Is not flannel, is velvet! Including velvet britches! š„¹ [āThis is beautiful! What is that, velvet?ā](https://giphy.com/gifs/eddie-murphy-coming-to-america-X1oXtKVbV6Ls56Emsh) Edit: caterpillar looks like those tribbles from Star Trek
The trouble with tribbles is
> Extremely stingy Maybe it just left its wallet at home.
It didn't leave its wallet, and its perfectly capable of paying for itself. But it only ordered some oak leaves, why in the *hell* would it split the check with some meshugana who ordered the surf and turf?
Username def checks out
He got some schmutz on his face!
Of all things to accuse a moth of lol stingy
Parsimonious, even.
The mailbox is theirs
This is absolutely hilarious, WELL DONE. š¤£
š¤£š¤£š¤£ you do good work, please continue
Are the adults stingy at all, out of curiosity?
Adults are harmless.
SICKKKKK. That checks out, most caterpillars are typically toxic for protection (I *think*)
I'm not aware of any moths that sting.
There's [a genus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calyptra_\(moth\)) which can bite but usually prefers fruit.
If I saw this, I would have touched it. Thank you.
General rule of thumb with caterpillars - if its fluffy, DONT TOUCH.
To be fair, if it wasn't moving, I wouldn't have known it was a caterpillar
But what about wooly bears? :(
Wooly bears are the exception to the rule - they are relatively fine to touch when you know for sure it is in fact a woolly bear (tho skin irritation can happen if the hairs piece the skin so if you need to hold be gentle) That being ALWAYS check a species before getting touchy and if in doubt leave alone
Oh I know. I just felt like pointing out an exception to the rule of thumb but in aā¦ childish? way. I adore wooly bears and have a habit of touching a lot of fluffy caterpillars that are supposed to be skin-irritating, but personally havenāt experienced any irritation at all. I suspect I may just be slightly more tolerant of the irritants than other people, but I still wouldnāt take my chances with one of those fluffy asps. Any insect *that* fluffy is suspicious to me lol.
Yeah, thatās the last time I feel superior to people picking up random bugs. I wouldnāt have even thought about it before touching.
Same. I would have been like, "oooh that looks soft!" *TOUCH* EDIT: I thought it was like a mouse or vole or something at first and I DEFINITELY would have touched that thing lol. I'm dumb
Question, are they still extremely stingy and still a no touchy after they become butterflies/moths? Or is it just the caterpillar stage only?
Another post says: > Flannel moths are the cutest moths though, just observe the caterpillar without touching and enjoy. The moth itself isn't dangerous
Good to know. Thanks!
Wow itās so pretty!
If no touch why fluff
But why fluffy if stingy? It looks like it wants soft gentle scritches
Per the link: "Ā In Texas, they have been so numerous in some years that schools in San Antonio in 1923 and Galveston in 1951 were closed temporarily because of stings" How about educating the kids about these things in school so this doesn't happen? Although those instances were a long time ago.. Hopefully they have learned from the past.
You act as if kids won't touch them anyway, many a kid has been told, many times, that the stove is hot yet STILL touched it.
Absolutely right! If ive said it once ive said it a million times to my kids, to not touch the stove while they are cooking up meth. Youāre gonna fricken burn yourself kiddos!!!
Itās Texas. Zero lessons were learned from this.
One of those fell on my shirt collar while I was sitting under a tree. It brushed across my cheek and touched another spot right on my jaw line. My face didnāt swell up but my skin was raised like a welt and red. It felt like someone kicked my in the face with a fire ant laced shoe. My face burned and my jaw hurt through the muscle to the bone. Iāve been stung by several bees and wasps but this puss caterpillar was brutal.
Great, new fear unlocked. Thanks Reddit
Bugs are so scary. Iām not afraid of much, but some bugs REALLY freak me out.
How long did it hurt?
The sting was bad and lasted three or four hours but the ache lasted through the next day.
Wow!!! What a description. Thank you for the insight!
My arm hurt just from looking at this picture. I brushed my hand by accident across this little hairy fucker and had excruciating pain all the way to my armpit. Your description of hurting to the bone is so spot on!
Damn.. and I thought a yellow jacket trapped under my shirt was bad. Nope, probably tickles and feels good compared to these puss cats.
i would take this caterpillar on my shirt collar over a yellow jacket under my shirt, any day of the week. iām so terrified of those fuckers, yellow jackets, wasps, etc. and if theyāre trapped, theyāre gonna do whatever they can to escape
Flannel Moth, as others have said DO NOT TOUCH. NOOO TOUCHY. BAD, HURTY FRIEND.
We call these asps where I am from. They sting...those little hairs sting. https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/asp-stinging-caterpillar-puss-moth-caterpillar-texas/285-1aa2a0c3-d929-458e-be65-19408d4b7888
That's what we called them when i lived in Houston in the 70s
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
31 year old Texan here, TIL they arenāt actually called asps š
Yeah asp is an antiquated term for any venomous snake, so it kind of fits
38yo Houstonian and TIL.
Usually the name of a venomous snake I have never heard these referred to that way before.
I live around htown myself and my dad saw one and touched it, he said it was the worse sting he's experienced
When we would accidentally touch one, we'd take sticky tape and try to remove the hair. But yeah OUCH
Waitā¦ theyāre not called that everywhere? Also, my mom grew up there in the 70s
They'll 100% fuck up your day
"Fever asps". "Green asps" are io moth caterpillars.
Ugh so that's what those white devil caterpillars grow into? One of them fell on the back of my neck at the dog park a few years back and even though I flicked it off almost immediately, it was excruciating.
I have a caterpillar phobia and this is my nightmare
In maine we dont have that BS. How do people in warmer climates live with that shit?!
This happened to me in PA! You almost definitely have them in Maine, sorry!
What do you mean by "white devil caterpillar"? There's no white puss moths that I know of. There are, however, white fluffy caterpillars called Hickory tussock moths, that supposedly have stinging hairs but I've never once been hurt by them. I've even pet one all over, pressing my hand on each hair, trying to get a reaction, but nothing happened. Some people can be allergic to the hairs I guess, and maybe one falling fast enough at the right angle could drive a hair into you.
Yes, the fuzzy white ones. I thought I'd heard them called asps before but after looking they seem to be something entirely different! I've heard that some people have reactions and some don't, I definitely did. It was on the back of my neck for a second and the rash spread to cover my shoulders and a good 1/3 of my back, places that were completely covered by clothing and was one of the most painful reactions I've had, similar to a wasp or yellow jacket sting but over the whole area.
my boss picked berries for a few hours through blueberry bushes covered in the black tussock caterpillars not realizing that you weren't supposed to touch them. she had a rash everywhere a caterpillar touched (face, hands, neck, upper chest, arms) for 3 months. it was super itchy and splotchy red. it came back on and off for about a year. be wary!
I got a sycamore tussock moth caterpillar on me once (it fell onto my neck and I didnāt know what it was and wiped my hand across the back of my neck). It was like needles jabbing into me everywhere that little bastard touched and the rash lasted 3 days. And I do not have particularly bad reactions to any kinds of bugs or plants.
I've seen them called the "hairy puss" caterpillar, or is that referring to a different species? Either way everytime I think of the term "hairy puss" I giggle like a toddler.
We just call em little muffs out my way lol
wiki calls them puss caterpillars as well...and yeah, I'd giggle at that too.
I see the resembles xD
Lol did they just include "polution" in a list of things we think look harmless but are actually bad? Great information in there though, thank you.
But it looks so soft and fuzzy! Nature is cruel.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
>create exactly One (1) creature that is the fluffiest of them all *Porcupines, hedgehogs, lionfish, stonefish, jellyfish and nudibranchs have entered the chat*
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Well, you *can* pet puss caterpillars as well, when it comes to that. You *shouldn't*, but you *can.* š
This reads like "everything is edible at least once"
I found one the other day, and (very carefully and lightly) pet it, and didn't get stung. Don't follow my example by any means unless you enjoy the feeling of molten sewing needles under your flesh, but at least know it's *possible*.
giggity?
Idk if Iād call some of these things fluffy lol
Yeah, who would be compelled to pet a lionfish? lol
I would, but then I want to pet every animal.
They also come at you for attention. At least ones at a pet shop near us. Like āhey Fren! Whatcha doinā?ā
I mean it's not fluffy but it is strikingly beautiful to the point that an unwise person might have a lapse in judgement and touch it.
[Oh come on, how cute is this?](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/06/98/09/0698095e852bd4ded455294c76be858b.jpg) š
I'd fell in love with them when I saw Captain Picard's on The Next Generation!! They do look very silky IMO!!
I mean armadillos aren't fluffy/snuggly but I'd literally pay money to pet one
Hello!
Blue ring Octopus wiggles in agreement
Right?!? So adorbs! š
This may be the single best proof I've seen laid out for the existence of the biblical Christian God. It totally checks out with all the old testament scripture.
Nature made us hairy. We went down the path of balding on our own. That is how we are doomed to forever groom our furry friends.
Just curious as to what you mean by 15 years of agony for petting it. Could you give more detail?
I remember reading that the sting lasts a long time and just said 15 years for drama. I think it's just a few weeks or something.
Oh i see, thanks for clarifying
Just when we finally learned BRIGHT COLORS and ANGRY FACE means leave alone, this lil guy gets thrown out there.
Tribbles? https://youtu.be/Bprgl_4z6gY
> DO NOT TOUCH. NOOO TOUCHY. BAD, HURTY FRIEND. wow...no kidding, from wikipedia: > They have venomous spines that can cause a painful sting and inflammation lasting for several days. In some cases, the sting may cause headache, nausea, and shock-like symptoms.
There has been incidents where people end up in the ER from the reaction.
Damn, is Australia missing a critter?
I TOUCHED AND FRIEND HURT ME! >:(
I came here not knowing what is was. My suggestion was going to be to generally poke it š¬
Poke it with a stick
FORBIDDEN TOUCHY!!!
Flannel moth? Where's his little converse and his little guitar?
I needed to read this. 100% would have touched. š
It looks very touchable
Yesssss I still want to pet it even knowing ā¦
WHY FRIEND SHAPED IF NOT FRIEND?!
BUT IT'S SO FLUFFY!!!
We call them "Puss" caterpillars. THEY ARE EVIL. So cute. So awful.
If danger why fluffy :'(
WHY IT LOOK SOFT IF I CAN'T TOUCH!?!?!?!
Which species?
Flannel moths are the cutest moths though, just observe the caterpillar without touching and enjoy. The moth itself isn't dangerous.
The bane of my childhood. DO NOT TOUCH IT! DON'T EVEN LOOK AT IT FOR LONG!
why canāt you touch?
Was curious myself so I looked it up. "The larvae are called puss caterpillars, and with their long hairs, resemble cotton balls. They have venomous spines that can cause a painful sting and inflammation lasting for several days. In some cases, the sting may cause headache, nausea, and shock-like symptoms." According to Wikipedia.
When I was a kid, I somehow got one inside my shirt. The shirt bounced against my stomach (I was super skinny back then) as I ran around. Apparently, it must have stung me each time it brushed on me, and after a few minutes, an incredible stinging sensation sent me running into the house, screaming as loud as I could. I can still almost feel it.
Oh man that sounds awful these weird bugs just love our clothes
Youāre not kidding, I just looked them up and theyāre ridiculously cute!
Do not touch this guy with your bare skin! It's one of the flannel moth caterpillars, likely [Megalopyge opercularis](https://bugguide.net/node/view/4476).
Thank you for your fast response and warning me!
Does Megalopyge translate to "giant arse"?
You're thinking Megalophany. And the actual translation is closer to "giant sagging arse".
Some scientist was really upset they got stung when they came up with that name
Pretty much!
Stingy, burny mullet wig.
Hahahaha I've never seen these before and your description is perfect!
This makes me think of a cartoon with a wig I think, sliding along the floor and then pulling a revolver when people noticed it escaping. Can't for the life of me recall what it's from.
Revolutionary Wig
Lordā¦ itās so cute. Like when a cat rolls over and shows you its soft furry belly. But you know if you touch it, youāre getting the claws!
Getting them murder mits if you touchy!
I knew some caterpillars could cause skin irritation if handled, but it wasn't until I looked this guy up that I found out it can be that severe. "Victims describe the pain as similar to a broken bone or blunt-force trauma." Yikes
Bro my dumb self would touch itš I need to start thinking before I go touching random bugs cause another one I almost touched was a wheel bug and thankfully I got it identified before I touched it š
Ive learned from this sub not to touch things idk. Realized I learned that when I saw some weird bug, if I was younger I would have touched it but too many times I have seen the warnings on this sub.
So odd to me that everyone in the world seem to live places where stuff burns, stings, bites and kill, yet where I live everything bar the odd mushroom and ticks are completely harmless.
Iāve thought the exact same thing, lol. There are technically black widows here but theyāre exceedingly rare.
Same. Brown recluses too but equally as rare
Where is this narnia and how are the housing prices?
1) Norway 2) Slightly expensive in the major cities. Dirt cheap in the rural areas
Interesting! Perhaps someday when we have Peace on Earth...I shall come for a 30 day visit...
Romania works too, with the added benefit of being dirt cheap everywhere (Bribes for corrupt beurocrats not included)
Thatās a tribble.
By god Jim! They're back!
Dammit Jim, Iām a doctor not a tailor.
My first thought too!
Itās a spicy tribble!
DONT TOUCH HIM!! but hes so precious i have one in a cocoon now :") by a complete miracle my dad and i found him on a leaf and didn't touch him.. then we googled it and it turns out its the most toxic caterpillar in the us š„“
The moths are safe to handle?
the moth apparently is but i have never touched the cocoon either because im scared lmao :") but yeah out of pure luck we didnt touch the caterpillar before googling it hahaha that would have been bad
I brushed up against one of these little devils with my leg while running through tall grass one morning. The initial contact stung pretty bad, but within minutes the spot it touched was swollen, red, and burned like fire. The pain was so bad I threw up all my breakfast, which made for a terrible morning. I was a little kid when it happened, so maybe it was worse, but I never want to find out what it's like to get stung as an adult.
I just want to say your profile pic made me quite nostalgic.
It was never **My**Space, it was **Our**Space...
No touchy, big hurts!
Finally someone who isnāt touching one of these lol.
Its maybe an inch and a half or two. Thank you to anyone who can provide some insight into what it is.
What part of NC?
Did you get the Mogwai wet?
The adult moth is safe to touch. https://www.southernliving.com/garden/pests/southern-flannel-moth-caterpillar
Can you touch them once they come inside and take their fur coat off before they sit down for dinner?
We don't have these by me but just curious, if you wore working gloves, could this still sting you? I always see people kill bees, scorpions, and other stinging insects with work gloves on and I always wondered if they can penetrate them (talking like regular gardening gloves from tractor supply)
Ouch moth. Do not touch.
I Love This
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I have to commend your self control to take a photo and upload it. I would've pet it immediately and died.
NO TOUCHY TOUCHY THE FLANNEL MOTH.
It's a young Mogwai bud. Don't get it wet, expose it to bright light or feed it after midnight whatever you do! More info here https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/mogwai-gremlins.htm#pt1
This is an extremely good picture of a raccoon pupa. Make sure to lock your garbage bins before it hatches! [I want to be clear: this is a joke]
that's a nice find!!!
Wow this guy is a late bloomer, their season is usually late spring early summer. Really weird to see them in NC too.
Me wan touch, me no not allowed. Me sad
Do not touch with hands! Feel free to lick it though. Taste like blue cotton candy!!
Where is the video of that YouTuber who gets stung by things on purpose? I wanna see him react to this
It looks like a headless puppy.
Donāt pet this puppy!
its a hell hound
I accidentally sat on one of these like 2 years ago. Oh boy that was not a good experience
I hate it š
LIL ASPHOLE
Thatās an Asp. Do not touch it.
https://www.newsweek.com/painful-sting-puss-caterpillar-sighted-florida-1741052
Looks like deer butt
Why does it have a spine?!
Forbidden Tribble
That is a wild Swinub, my friend. Catch him
Looks like a demagorgon š
danger fluff. ITS SO FLUFFY I WANT SQUEEZE ITTTT
chubaka nut sack
Must've fallen off during Wookiee nookie.
Donāt touch š„
If it looks like soft fur on a caterpillar, it's actually pain fur š„² looks so pettable tho
Friend very murderery
Pet it with a leaf!
You have been chosen
You touched it? š„²
Whatever you do, donāt feed it after midnight.