Oh look what I found on my outer front door. Isn't it cute.

[charisstoma]

It's a cross between a slug and a cat. *laughs* Must remember to spray the outside of the house around the doors. Almost didn't see this as it was the same color as the door trim around the glass and it was curled up in a sleeping cat position, almost like a C.
Currently it's residing inside a clean relish jar with the lid on tight. It may be going to the zoo tomorrow, if they want it.
Decidedly DO NOT TOUCH.





Megalopyge opercularis, commonly known in Texas as an “asp” is one of the most toxic caterpillars in North America. Also known as puss moth caterpillars, the larva are teardrop shaped from 1 to 1.5 inches long. Although called a stinging caterpillar, the venom is actually in spines connected to a poison sac and concealed by the outer hairy surface. When touched they break off and remain in the skin releasing the venom. Intense throbbing pain develops within five minutes of contact with pain extending up the affected arm. Other symptoms may include headaches, nausea, vomiting, intense abdominal distress, lymphadenopathy, lymphadenitis, and sometimes shock or respiratory stress. Erythematous spots or hemorrhagic papules may appear at the site of the sting and last for 1-5 days. Some of the more unusual presentations have been in children where they have gotten into the mouth and deposited spines and venom in the mucus tissues. These spines can persist and one researcher describes the experience of removing shoes after being in an infected area and transferring a spine from the shoe to the eye causing severe pain. The number of exposures peaks in June-July with a second peak in October. One researcher reported that there may be two generations within a year. The poison control centers report that about one fourth to one third of the patients experience intensive pain that radiates up the arm or leg. The pain is severe enough for some patients to believe they are having a heart attack. In a reported case of abdomen “sting” severe abdominal pain ensued with an emergency department visit and work up for acute abdomen.

Comments

[thetowerxvi.livejournal.com]

Yes, very much a do not touch. It is cute though...and fuzzy...it looks soft...

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Yes, it does look soft and in need of petting. It's been reported that if you poke it it hunches up like a cat being petted so as to present the spines for touching.

One comment at a site reported that she was picking pears out of her tree and one brushed again her arm. They got her to the hospital just before she passed out from the pain.

Not going to pet this cute little thing to see if it's as soft as it looks.

[thetowerxvi.livejournal.com]

Wow. Yeah...okay...it definitely just lost some of its cute factor...

Marc Anthony and Pussyfoot -Looney Tunes

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcTniTyFcEA
Watch this while it's still up.

Re: Marc Anthony and Pussyfoot -Looney Tunes

[thetowerxvi.livejournal.com]

Gotcha. Pssshh. The dog should have eaten him. Way too much trouble.

Re: Marc Anthony and Pussyfoot -Looney Tunes

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

*sniffles* You'd have had him eat the cute cuddly little kitten. *sobs* Chip how could you?
As a snail, I can see I'm in trouble around you. What do you have behind your back? It had better not be melted butter and garlic. I have an Asp *shows jar with probably dead by now caterpillar in it* and it doesn't take much thought to know how to use it. Step away from the snail dipping sauce.

[dandygrrrl.livejournal.com]

Eek I'm sure glad we don't get hardly anything poisonous in the U.K.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

You have a few poisonous plants, maybe, if I remember my British murder mysteries. *smile*
Snakes being poisonous I can understand, they're snakes. But caterpillars??!!

[dandygrrrl.livejournal.com]

Oh yes we have plants but only if you eat them, oh and I forgot we do have Adders but I never saw one, and according to form there scared of humans. I know I never heard of a caterpillar being poisonous.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

*smiles* When we lived in Panama, we were told about one of the moths that lived there. They'd shed their hairs (like the caterpillar)and cause irritation. Problem was they'd shed them over the pool water and the hairs float.
The U.K. is too civilized to have really bad stuff.

[dandygrrrl.livejournal.com]

Lol that is true, we will have nothing interfearing with drinking tea. Moths that shed their hairs and cause irritation well that just isn't cricket.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

You do have football (in your speak, we call it soccor)that is pretty rough in amongst the spectators. U.K. isn't the only place that happens though.
The world is a scary place with the worst out there being ourselves.

[dandygrrrl.livejournal.com]

*nods* To true.

[julieannette.livejournal.com]

that thing is scary.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

I had had a thought to push my finger at it to knock it off the door when I first saw it. Am very glad my son didn't put his hand on it when he shut the door this morning. It is the same color as the door trim. He didn't remember seeing it at all just 20 minutes before when he left and it had hardly moved 8 hours later when I got home.

[julieannette.livejournal.com]

since I live so close to Texas I hope those things aren't here. Aren't Recluse spiders and snakes enough?

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

*considers* No. Misery loves company.
Oh, okay. Yes, *hugs you* they are more then enough.
Don't want to spread misery around too much, anyway. It lowers the sympathy factor. People would tell us to suck it up instead.

[grimmsical.livejournal.com]

;-; I think this is scarier than cousin Vinny, because it is real and it is scary. *stumbles off, scared* *hides in bed* Thank goodness it's only in North America. >.- ...wait, Texas? D:

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

*laughs* When again did California secede from North America? Did I miss the big earthquake?

Yes, it is real and harmless looking except it's too perfectly cute when it shouldn't be. Caterpillars should be interesting or beautiful; not cute and not make you want to touch. That's just evil.

There's pictures on the site below of the damage it's done on a few of it's victims and a nice map that shows California not having any reported poisonings from it. *smiles* You can come out of hiding from your bed.

http://neuro.bcm.edu/eagleman/papers/Eagleman%20Asp%20Caterpillar%20Clinical%20Toxicology.pdf

[grimmsical.livejournal.com]

That's why I always fail on reading comprehension. I thought you meant northern America. *comes out of hiding anyway* But hey, California can't even decide if it wants to split itself or not - Northern Cali has been talking about breaking off for years.

If it weren't venomous, I might want one for a pet.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

If I find another.. *smiles with bright "Orbit White" chewing gum teeth* I could send it to you.
hmm. CA has so many restrictions about what can be shipped into the state. Think you'll have to live Asp free.

[thetowerxvi.livejournal.com]

Great. We have those in AZ too? Arent rattlesnakes, scorpions, black widows, brown recluses, gila monsters, javelinas, religious fanatics and jumping cactus enough?

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Oh there was just one in AZ in the 3 year study. Maybe it was someone returning from TX and bringing along an interesting cute little furry thing on the vehicle.
They are kind of like jumping cactus. You have to touch them.
*laughs* Religious fanatics are so much more dangerous and they look like us.
Perfect camouflage.

[angelabenedetti.livejournal.com]

My husband suggests you take it to Australia and let it duke it out with the critters they have down there. I think he's right -- that's where it actually belongs. O_O

Angie

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Australia has spiders that are aggressive. Spiderphobic. Not going there.
I've been mulling it over as to what keeps these things in check so they haven't taken over the world,yet. Something has to eat them. But what would cause them to form such a formidable defense?

[angelabenedetti.livejournal.com]

I suppose you could ship it to Australia rather than hand-carrying it. [grin]

And yeah, it's pretty scary trying to work out just what preys upon these things. O_O Scorpions maybe?

Angie

[alice_montrose]

That is both cute, fascinating and downright scary, all at the same time. I hope the zoo will want to take it off your hands!

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

*cringes* We lived for a while in a part of the world where there were moths that shed irritating hairs. Tarantula shed for the same reason. So I neglected to put holes in the jar lid. It's small and I think looking for a place to pupate. Maybe it doesn't need much O2.

[klgaffney.livejournal.com]

...that there's a TRAP. nothing that resembles a cute and fuzzy legless kitten should mess you up that badly for touching it. i love our world. it has such a twisted sense of humor. =|

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

"fuzzy legless kitten"
Kaaaaammmmmi that phrase alone is so wrong.

If you look from the bottom (through the glass jar. Am not totally crazy yet)it has legs but it looks more like a shoe print. Draw an oval and put 6 parrallel lines across the lengthwise of the oval. That's what the pattern of the ,for lack of a better word, wounds on the people look like too.

Even from the bottom it looks cute. Our world,as you have said, really does have a twisted sense of humor.