Part of its coat includes stinging, or urticating, hairs. The first symptom of a Flannel Moth caterpillar sting is most frequently described as “searing pain”. These caterpillars are found anywhere from Washington DC to Texas, Arizona, and Florida … On some people, the inflammation and pain can last for many days and cause allergic reactions. The adult moth is white, as the name suggests, but this larva wears a color scheme of black, yellow, and orange. The venomous spines on White Flannel moths can cause a nasty sting. The yellow moth has large swaths of brown color on each forewing with white hairs covering them. Update: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 Hi Daniel: This looks like the caterpillar of the Flannel Moth Megalopyge lanata (family Megalopygidae). They are covered in thick hairs, almost like fur, or soft flannel. Caterpillars in many moth families have stinging or irritating hairs, but then again, not all hairy caterpillar species necessarily can irritate or sting.
Clumps of shorter, stinging spines line its back and sides.
Like other stinging caterpillars, the flannel moth caterpillar doesn't sting in the sense that bees and wasps do, but their hairs are connected with glands that contain toxins. Ed. There are several types of stinging caterpillars, and their degree of toxicity varies. Adult moths, however, do not sting.
Flannel moth caterpillars have 7 pairs of prolegs, while all other butterfly and moth caterpillars have 5 or fewer pairs. Megalopyge opercularis is a moth of the family Megalopygidae.It has numerous common names, including southern flannel moth for its adult form, and puss caterpillar, asp, Italian asp, woolly slug, opossum bug, puss moth, tree asp, or asp caterpillar for its larval form. Note: Moths in the family Megalopygidae are known as Flannel Moths and the Caterpillars are sometimes called Asps because of the sting, or Puss Caterpillars. The white flannel moth caterpillar feels like anything but flannel—it's prickly. Look closely, and you'll see long hairs extending from its sides. The pain radiates up from the sting site and can cause nausea, swelling, vomiting, chest pains, and other horrifying-sounding symptoms. If adult moths are seen in an areas, it should serve as an early warning to be on the lookout for the near arrival of stinging larvae.