First aid for caterpillar rash
- Remove the toxin-laden hairs from your skin. This is best done by using adhesive tape. Gently put the sticky side...
- Wash the skin thoroughly with soap and water.
- Apply an ice pack to reduce swelling and pain.
- Create a paste using baking soda and water and slather it on the affected skin to reduce itching. A hydrocortisone cream...
Are tussock moths harmful?
Experts say the white hickory tussock moth caterpillar has a defense mechanism in those white hairs that embeds in human skin and sends a small dose of irritating poison, causing itching, rash and allergic reactions. Some people may be hypersensitive to the poison and have allergic reactions.
How to get rid of tussock moths?
- Apply an insecticide to the foliage of the host trees before the caterpillars mature and begin dispersing. ...
- Walk around the house with a broom and sweep the climbing caterpillars into a pail of soapy water before they have a chance to spin their cocoons.
- Remove cocoons by slipping tweezers or a similar instrument between the cocoon and the wall. ...
Can pale tussock moths cause a rash?
Tussock caterpillars (Erebidae family / previously Lymantriidae) were very abundant in Maine in 2011 and they were ‘itching’ for attention! One reason for all the attention they receive (during late summer and early fall) is that, unfortunately, the hairs on these caterpillars can cause a very itchy rash.
How to treat hickory tussock caterpillar rash?
Weekly
- Reported by. David Atrubin, MPH, Lea Wansbrough, MPH, Kelly Cruse, MPH, CHES, Danielle Stanek, DVM, Carina Blackmore, DVM, PhD, Florida Dept of Health.
- Editorial Note. ...
- Acknowledgment. ...
- References. ...
Can tussock moths hurt you?
Judged on looks alone, these fuzzy caterpillars might appear harmless but touch one with a bare finger and you'll feel as if you've been pricked by fiberglass. Some species, such as the Brown-tail, will even leave you with a persistent and painful rash. Tussock Moth adults are often dull brown or white.
How do you get rid of caterpillar rash?
Create a paste using baking soda and water and slather it on the affected skin to reduce itching. A hydrocortisone cream also may be used. Take an oral antihistamine (such as Benadryl®) if the reaction to the sting worsens.
How long do caterpillar rashes last?
Caterpillar Rash Causes and Symptoms In some people, these hairs cause an allergic reaction when they touch the skin. These symptoms can appear within minutes and last for one or more days.
What happens if you get stung by a hairy caterpillar?
The hair or spines contain venom that can cause a painful rash and throbbing pain. Experts say the caterpillar that causes the most painful reaction is the Southern Flannel, also known as the asp or puss caterpillar.
Is caterpillar rash contagious?
Skin Reactions Symptoms include itchy, blistered and swelled skin. The rash itself is not contagious. It's caused by a reaction to the toxins that are in the hairs. Unlike the oil of the poison ivy plant, the hairs are not likely transferred to others through physical contact.
What happens if a poisonous caterpillar bites you?
When a puss moth caterpillar rubs or is pressed against a person's skin, its venomous hairs are embedded, usually causing severe burning and a rash. Pain usually subsides in about an hour. Occasionally, the reaction is more severe, causing swelling, nausea, and difficulty breathing.
Will rash go away on its own?
In many cases, the best treatment is to leave the rash alone. Your rash will likely clear up without complications in 2-3 weeks as long as you are not re-exposed to the allergen. Applying moisturizers will help the skin moisten and speed the healing process. Your provider may prescribe creams or ointments to help.
What should I do if I get stung by a caterpillar?
Wash the area gently with soap and water. If the area itches, put on a paste of baking soda and water. If that doesn't help, try a hydrocortisone cream. If that doesn't help, try an antihistamine cream.
Does Brown tail moth rash go away on its own?
Treating Browntail Moth Rash Most people experience a localized rash that lasts from a few hours to several days. Those with more sensitive skin can get a more severe rash, lasting up to several weeks. Take Benadryl or apply hydrocortisone cream to the affected area to relieve symptoms.
Are moth caterpillars poisonous?
Southern Flannel Moth Caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis) When picked up, these spines deliver a powerful and painful sting. The venom can cause searing, throbbing pain, burning and sometimes a rash with red spots. Some folks experience swelling, nausea, abdominal pain, headache, even shock and respiratory distress.
What caterpillars should you not touch?
Stinging caterpillar species include the buck moth caterpillar, spiny oak slug caterpillar, hickory tussock moth caterpillar, saddleback caterpillar and io moth caterpillar.
Which fuzzy caterpillars are poisonous?
A fluffy caterpillar is one of the most venomous caterpillars in the United States. The puss caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis) has hidden toxic spines underneath its fur.
What is a Tussock Moth?
Tussock Moth caterpillars (from the family Lymantriidae) are voracious eaters capable of defoliating entire forests. The best-known member of this family is the beautiful but highly detrimental Gypsy Moth which is not native to North America. After its introduction, the potential for destruction these critters could wreak became all too clear.
Where do white marked tussock moths live?
The White-Marked Tussock Moth is a common native of North America and is found throughout the eastern United States and Canada. These caterpillars feed on a range of host plants, including birch, cherry, apple, oak, and even some coniferous trees like fir and spruce, and may cause damage to trees when present in significant numbers.
What caterpillars are known for their tufts of hair?
In the United States, the Gypsy Moth alone costs millions of dollars to control each year. To insect lovers, however, Tussock Moth caterpillars are known for their striking tufts of hair, or tussocks.
What do pine tussock moths eat?
Predictably, Pine Tussock Moth caterpillars feed on pine foliage, along with other coniferous trees such as spruce. They prefer the tender needles of jack pine, and during years of high caterpillar populations, entire stands of these trees may be defoliated. The caterpillars emerge in the summer months.
How long do caterpillars molt?
Caterpillars feed primarily at night, but in a year of high Gypsy Moth populations, they may continue feeding through the day as well. After eight weeks of feeding and molting, the caterpillar pupates, usually on tree bark. Within one to two weeks, adults emerge and begin mating. The adult moths do not feed.
How long does it take for a white marked tulsock moth to hatch?
White-Marked Tussock Moths produce two generations each year. The first generation of caterpillars emerges from their eggs in springtime. They feed on foliage for four to six weeks before pupating. After two weeks, the adult moth emerges from the cocoon, ready to mate and lay eggs.
Why do Nun Moths chew needles?
That's a good thing because in its native range it has wreaked havoc on forests. Nun Moths like to chew the base of needles on coniferous trees, allowing the rest of the untouched needle to fall to the ground. This eating habit results in extensive needle loss when caterpillar populations are high.
Q: You picked up a caterpillar on a hike and now your arm is an itchy patchwork of red bumps. Is that normal?
A: Don’t be fooled by the cuteness of a fuzzy caterpillar inching through the world in its adorable way. Some of those little critters pack a nasty punch that can leave your skin red, swollen and itchy.
Symptoms of a caterpillar sting
Now the good news: Reactions to caterpillar stings usually stay on the mild side. On the scale of insect bites, it normally rates as more troublesome than a mosquito bite but not as bad as a wasp sting.
First aid for caterpillar rash
So what’s your first move following the OUCH moment? (After expressing regret for not leaving the darn caterpillar alone, of course?) Let’s walk through some basic at-home treatment steps to offer relief.
Best defense against stinging caterpillars
Nature often color codes dangerous creatures, painting them with bright hues that stand out as a warning sign to others in the ecosystem.
What is a tussock moth?
Tussock moths in the genus Orgyia are small moths that are best-known because of their attractive larvae. Figure 1. Fir tussock moth ( Orgyia detrita) caterpillar (dorsal view). Photograph by Donald W. Hall, University of Florida.
What are tussock moths' enemies?
Predators: Tussock moth larvae have various natural enemies. Medina and Barbosa (2002) looked at predation of small and large Orgyia leucostigma larvae in a temperate forest and suggested that birds were the major predators of large larvae but most mortality of smaller larvae was probably due to failure to find a suitable host during ballooning dispersal and also possibly to predation by invertebrate predators in the leaf litter. Large ground beetles (Henn et al. 2009) and Polistes paper wasps (Castellanos et al. 2011) have also been reported to attack the larvae up in the trees.
What do fir tussock moth larvae eat?
Hall, University of Florida. By the second instar, the larvae are already recognizable because of their short hair pencils. Young larvae eat holes in leaves.
What is the most common moth in Florida?
Orgyia detrita (the fir tussock moth) is the most common of the species in Florida followed by Orgyia leucostigma (the whitemarked tussock moth) and finally Orgyia definita (the definite tussock moth), which is rare in Florida (Foltz 2004). Much of the older literature places the tussock moths in the family Liparidae and more recently in ...
When do Orgyia detrita hatch?
In Florida, the overwintering eggs begin to hatch in late February. After hatching, the young larvae feed on the remaining egg mass and then spin a silk thread that they use to “balloon” for dispersal (Thurston 2002). Because adult females are flightless, ballooning by young larvae is the major mode of dispersal. Ballooning is also important given their propensity for spinning cocoons off their host plants (i.e., on buildings, fences, and other man-made objects).
Why is it so hard to control caterpillars in Florida?
Control of the caterpillars is difficult because by the time they are migrating from the trees, it is too late. In Florida, feeding damage to large trees by Orgyia species does not usually harm the trees. However, they may occasionally be sufficiently numerous to completely defoliate large trees. Also, large numbers of larvae blown onto small landscape trees may result in severe defoliation.
What are the black pencils on the prothorax?
They are characterized by hair pencils of black setae that extend forward from the prespiracular verrucae of the prothorax, a dorsal hair pencil of black setae on the eighth abdominal segment, dorsal tussocks on the first four abdominal segments, and mid-dorsal glandular structures on abdominal segments six and seven.
Why do caterpillars have fuzzy tufts?
It is thought that exposure to the creature's tiny hairs, called setae, triggers an overactive immune response in some people.
How long does caterpillar rash last?
Caterpillar rash. iStock / Getty Images Plus. These symptoms can appear within minutes and last for one or more days. If a child touches their eyes or nose after handling a caterpillar or places one in their mouth, there could be a more serious reaction. There may be sneezing, coughing, runny nose, red eyes, shortness of breath, mouth pain, ...
What makes reactions to caterpillars most confounding?
What makes reactions to caterpillars most confounding is that they can easily be mistaken for something else and therefore not treated properly. In 2011, 23 children in Florida developed rashes from exposure to white-marked tussock moth ( Orgyia leucostigma) caterpillars. 3
How to get rid of hair rash on face?
Repeat with fresh pieces of tape until you've gotten out all of the hair that you can. Afterward, wash the skin with soap and water and dab on a low-potency steroid cream. If the rash really stings, the 10- to 15-minute ice application can usually help relieve the pain.
What happens if you touch a caterpillar?
Touching a caterpillar can cause redness, swelling, itching, rash, welts, and small , fluid-filled sacs called vesicles. There may also be a burning or stinging sensation.
Do caterpillars turn into butterflies?
Of all the bugs and insects kids come into contact with, caterpillars seem pretty harmless. After all , these fuzzy little creatures are kind of cute, and, eventually, they turn into butterflies or moths.
Can caterpillars leave setae behind?
They also can leave setae behind on items kids commonly come in direct contact with. One of the recommendations by the CDC in response to the Florida outbreak was to advise schools and daycare centers where caterpillars are common to power wash playground equipment.
Why are tussock moths called tussock moths?
Similar species: The caterpillars in several moth groups are called “tussock moths” because they, too, may be hairy with clumps of longer hairs. Several of these are in the tiger and lichen moth subfamily.
What is the new family of tussock moths?
The new family (Erebidae) that the tussock moth subfamily now belongs to joins together several additional moth groups. Many of these (such as the underwing, or catocalid moths) used to be members of the formerly huge family Noctuidae. The noctuid family continues, but minus those groups. Another distinct group, the tiger and lichen moths, are in the same situation as the tussock moths: they also used to be in their own family, but have now been reduced to a subfamily (Arctiinae) in the new family Erebidae. These recent taxonomy revisions are confusing, but they represent a much greater clarity in our understanding of the true relationships among these animal groups.
What caterpillars are in cocoons?
The caterpillars incorporate those hairs into the cocoon for protection. Some examples of species in this subfamily include the white-marked tussock moth ( Orgyia leucostigma ), whose larvae damage orchard trees, and the exotic, invasive gypsy moth ( Lymantria dispar ).
How many hair tufts are there in caterpillars?
The caterpillars tend to be brightly colored with distinctive groups of hair tufts, some short and some long, often with 2 long tufts in the front and 2 or 3 at the hind end. The elongated clumps are sometimes called "pencils.". Some species have hollow, barbed hairs that sting with toxic spines.
Why do caterpillars have stinging hairs?
Stinging hairs are a defense against the caterpillars’ many predators. The bright colors warn predators of the unpalatable nature of the caterpillars. The hairs also probably help insulate the caterpillars from extreme temperatures and help protect them from drying out.
What order are butterflies and moths in Missouri?
About Butterflies and Moths in Missouri. Butterflies, skippers, and moths belong to an insect order called the Lepidoptera — the "scale-winged" insects. These living jewels have tiny, overlapping scales that cover their wings like shingles.
Why did people introduce gypsy moths to North America?
People introduced the invasive, destructive gypsy moth to North America in a failed attempt to jumpstart a silk-producing industry on our continent.
Introduction
Distribution
- Orgyia detrita: Coastal Plain from Long Island to Florida and Gulf States west to Texas (Ferguson 1978, Wagner 2005, Orgyia detritaentry at North American Moth Photographers Group web site). It is uncommon in the northern parts of its range. Orgyia leucostigma: Entire eastern U.S. and west to Minnesota and Texas (Ferguson 1978, Orgyia leucostigma entry at North American Moth Pho…
Description
- Larvae:Larvae are 1-1.5 inches in length. They are characterized by hair pencils of black setae that extend forward from the prespiracular verrucae of the prothorax, a dorsal hair pencil of black setae on the eighth abdominal segment, dorsal tussocks on the first four abdominal segments, and mid-dorsal glandular structures on abdominal segments six...
Life Cycle and Biology
- Orgyia detritais univoltine (one generation per year) while the other two species are bivoltine in Florida (Foltz 2006). In Florida, the overwintering eggs begin to hatch in late February. After hatching, the young larvae feed on the remaining egg mass and then spin a silk thread that they use to “balloon” for dispersal (Thurston 2002). Because adult females are flightless, ballooning b…
Host Plants
- Orgyia detrita: Although the common name is “fir tussock moth”, the only documented hosts are oaks and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) (Ferguson 1978). Orgyia leucostigma: Polyphagous. Heppner (2003) listed plants belonging to 116 genera that have been reported as hosts. A few common hosts include oak, cherry, hackberry, and willow. Orgyia definita: Only willow (Salixsp.) …
Medical Importance
- The medical importance of Orgyiaspecies caterpillars is well-documented in the scientific (Diaz 2005, Gilmer 1925, Goldman et al. 1960, Knight 1922) and clinical dermatology (Hossler 2009 & 2010 ) literature. Pruritic (itching) dermatitis due to tussock moth caterpillars has been reported to be a problem at child day-care centers and elementary schools in Florida (Atrubin et al. 2012, …
Natural Enemies
- Predators: Tussock moth larvae have various natural enemies. Medina and Barbosa (2002) looked at predation of small and large Orgyia leucostigma larvae in a temperate forest and suggested that birds were the major predators of large larvae but most mortality of smaller larvae was probably due to failure to find a suitable host during ballooning dispersal and also possibly to pr…
Control
- Control of the caterpillars is difficult because by the time they are migrating from the trees, it is too late. In Florida, feeding damage to large trees by Orgyiaspecies does not usually harm the trees. However, they may occasionally be sufficiently numerous to completely defoliate large trees. Also, large numbers of larvae blown onto small landscape trees may result in severe defol…
Cultural Entomology
- Insects are very popular in human culture. Images of butterflies and moths are common in movies, art, jewelry, and fabrics. Although the fir tussock moth is not a highly familiar moth even to most entomologists, an image of an adult male does appear in a popular design used on ornamental paper, wall art, journal covers, purses, and fabric (Tim Holtz, personal communicatio…
Selected References
- Arnaud PH. 1978. A Host-Parasite Catalog of North American Tachinidae (Diptera). United States Department of Agriculture Miscellaneous Publication 1319. Washington, D.C. (21 March 2020)
- Atrubin D, Granger K. April 28, 2006. Contact dermatitis in daycare facilities. EPI-NOTES Disease Surveillance Newsletter. Hillsborough County (Florida) Health Department.
- Arnaud PH. 1978. A Host-Parasite Catalog of North American Tachinidae (Diptera). United States Department of Agriculture Miscellaneous Publication 1319. Washington, D.C. (21 March 2020)
- Atrubin D, Granger K. April 28, 2006. Contact dermatitis in daycare facilities. EPI-NOTES Disease Surveillance Newsletter. Hillsborough County (Florida) Health Department.
- Atrubin D, Wansbrough L, Cruse K, Stanek D, Blackmore C. 2012.Caterpillar-associated rashes in children- Hillsborough County, Florida, 2011. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 61(12): 209-212. (...
- Beadle D, Leckie S. 2012. Petersen Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America. Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company. New York, New York. 611 pp.
