Off The Record

If You Spot This “Cute” And Fuzzy Insect In Your Yard, You Had Better Know What It Is

Published on April 30, 2024

If there’s one good thing that social media’s rise has brought about, it’s the unparalleled speed at which knowledge can now be shared.

Additionally, this implies that alerts regarding possible threats might spread quickly, theoretically increasing our level of safety.

One such warning came from a mother a few years ago whose son had picked up some tree branches one day and had since grown an odd, red mark on his skin that looked like a grid.

He was hurried to the emergency room shortly after that. Andrea Pergola now wants everyone to be aware of something that might be able to save lives.

Logan, 15, felt a brief, stinging pain when something struck him as he was gathering tree branches for his volunteer job.

His arm developed a red, grid-like mark in a matter of minutes, which quickly spread into a full-blown rash. The rash quickly seared with excruciating pain, spreading up his arm to his chest.

In addition, Logan turned pale and became lightheaded. In an effort to remove the poison, his mother cleaned the area and applied garlic (this is commonly believed work with bug stings).

Despite her best efforts, nothing appeared to have an impact.

Logan’s granddad found the insect that had stung him. Putting on heavy gloves, he put it in a bag and gave it a closer look.

It was a fluffy and somewhat “cute” caterpillar. It turned out to be one of North America’s most toxic caterpillars as well.

Online research led Andrea to the conclusion that she needed to get Logan to the ER as soon as possible.

Andrea posted on Facebook, urging people to “research this caterpillar, be aware of it, and make your kids aware of it.”

“It is not native to Florida, but to Texas, and just happens to live here now. Please if you are stung or your kid is stung get to the ER and let them treat you. I can assure you — we didn’t realize he had been stung so many times and normal over-the-counter Benadryl would not have treated this at home.”