Stinging Caterpillars
From Bugwoodwiki
Price, T.S. Hazards of the Outdoors. Georgia Forestry Commission. Macon, GA. January 2006. 24 p.
Some common stinging caterpillars are the saddleback, tussock moth, puss moth, hag moth, Io moth, Isa moth, and spiny oak slug (Figures 34-40). All feed on the leaves of various trees and shrubs between March and September and are capable of causing severe reactions in certain people. The caterpillars are equipped with stinging spines located over their bodies. Each spine is connected to a poison gland that injects venom when touched. Children should be taught not to handle caterpillars unless they are recognized as harmless species. Wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants will prevent many brushes with these caterpillars while pruning trees and shrubbery or just taking a stroll through the woods.
 Photo by Center for Disease Control Archive, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Bugwood.org Figure 34 |  Photo by James Solomon, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Figure 35 |  Photo by James Solomon, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Figure 36 |  Photo by Jerry A. Payne, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org Figure 37 |  Photo by Center for Disease Control Archive, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Bugwood.org Figure 38 |  Photo by Jerry A. Payne, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org Figure 39 |  Photo by Beverly Sparks, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org Figure 40 |
