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Storrs, CT (WFSB) — A question about a caterpillar spotted in Connecticut prompted experts from the University of Connecticut to post a warning.
The saddleback caterpillar may look cute, but it’s dangerous.
Venom in its hair, if touched, causes a painful, swelling rash.
The spines are hollow and imbed deeply into tissue.
“Unfortunately, if a human touches one of their hairs they receive an awful sting,” the school said in a Facebook post. “Look, but don’t touch!”
Master gardener Gail Reynolds of the UConn Extension Center in Haddam is looking for the saddleback caterpillar.
They are about a half inch long, primarily green caterpillar with brown at either end and a prominent white-ringed brown dot in the center which resembles a saddle.
In extreme cases, the venom can cause migraines, gastrointestinal symptoms, asthma complications and other symptoms, according to the University of Florida.
Contact with human skin can cause a painful swollen rash and nausea for other people.
“The barb makes it difficult for the spine to come out of the skin so that’s why it really, really hurts the person,” said Reynolds.
The saddleback larvae feed on a large variety of plants, usually underneath the leaf.
They could be found anywhere in the eastern US from Florida up to New York state and Connecticut.
Reynolds explains the saddleback is around for months at a time and will lay eggs on the top of the leaf.
“They spin silk around themselves and then they become a moth. And the moth is a very non-descript brown moth,” said Reynolds.
UConn said the caterpillars are not typically widespread in Connecticut.
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