Aug 28, 2004
so Emily comes back in from the porch tonight (we all cooked dinner, and then watched Indiana Jones) and says there's a huge caterpillar out on the tree outside.
Of course, I have to go look. Sure enough, it's about an inch and a half long, for a caterpillar- that's pretty big:
It's an Io caterpillar (Automeris Io), and right as I'm grabbing it off the branch, I remember one important thing about the Io caterpillar- it's venomous.
"This large and colorful caterpillar can cause painful skin eruption (dermatitis) when handled.
IO larvae possess many venomous spines (urticarial hairs) on their body and must be handled with care. The conspicuous red and white stripe which runs the length of the larva on each side is a good identification character.
IO caterpillars are found on cotton, oaks, poplars, and many other deciduous trees and herbaceous plants."
Right as I grab it, I remember that it's venomous, and let it go. Of course, it's too late, and I'm allready nailed in two fingers.
I'm not getting the skin eruption, but it was about as bad as a bee sting, maybe a little worse- without the stinger sitting in your skin (which makes bee stings worse)
Anyway, it was a pretty cool thing to see- they aren't that common (partly because there aren't that many people who turn over leaves all day just for fun...) to find.
The caterpillar is happily on its tree right now, munching away.
Of course, I have to go look. Sure enough, it's about an inch and a half long, for a caterpillar- that's pretty big:
It's an Io caterpillar (Automeris Io), and right as I'm grabbing it off the branch, I remember one important thing about the Io caterpillar- it's venomous.
"This large and colorful caterpillar can cause painful skin eruption (dermatitis) when handled.
IO larvae possess many venomous spines (urticarial hairs) on their body and must be handled with care. The conspicuous red and white stripe which runs the length of the larva on each side is a good identification character.
IO caterpillars are found on cotton, oaks, poplars, and many other deciduous trees and herbaceous plants."
Right as I grab it, I remember that it's venomous, and let it go. Of course, it's too late, and I'm allready nailed in two fingers.
I'm not getting the skin eruption, but it was about as bad as a bee sting, maybe a little worse- without the stinger sitting in your skin (which makes bee stings worse)
Anyway, it was a pretty cool thing to see- they aren't that common (partly because there aren't that many people who turn over leaves all day just for fun...) to find.
The caterpillar is happily on its tree right now, munching away.
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