<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2gydO8_0lPNi14G00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2gydO8_0lPNi14G00" width="1664" height="1245" ></figure><p>Each spring in New Orleans, as flowers bloom and crawfish boil, a tiny menace lurks in the city's trees -- not pollen (though that's causing plenty of seasonal allergies), but stinging caterpillars. </p><p>Four types of stinging caterpillars are common in New Orleans, with buck moths caterpillars being the most prevalent at the moment.</p><p>The spiny buck moth caterpillars — until recently — have been enjoying the warm spring weather. They are usually found on, around and under oak trees, according to Zack Lemann, the curator of animal collections for the Audubon Insectarium. </p><p>The three other common stinging caterpillars are:</p><ul><li>Puss moth</li><li>IO moth</li><li>Saddleback</li></ul><p>Others may be found in south Louisiana, Lemann said, but they aren't as widespread. The caterpillars emerge when temperatures are consistently above 60 to 70 degrees, he said, which is usually March through October.</p><p>Here's what you need to know to identify the caterpillars and what to do if you or your pets get stung.</p><h2>Require a doctor?</h2><p>The stings are usually painful but don't require medical intervention unless you are allergic to other insect stings. They can produce the same swelling and respiratory problems as bee stings, according to LSU.</p><p>Most people will have burning, swelling and itching where they are stung.</p><p>The puss moth has a neurotoxin component to its venom, Lemann said, that can travel through the lymphatic system. It is generally considered the most painful sting of the four caterpillars.</p><h2>Buck moth</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0XYWlt_0lPNi14G00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0XYWlt_0lPNi14G00" width="1666" height="1244" ></figure><p>The buck moth caterpillar, <i>Hemileuca maia (Drury)</i>, has a reddish head and small white spots and spiny barbed structures protruding from each segment of its body.</p><p>In addition to oak trees, primary hosts include willow, wild cherry, rose and several other deciduous trees, according to the LSU AgCenter.</p><p>Here is a picture of what the caterpillars turn into as adults.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0DuqBx_0lPNi14G00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0DuqBx_0lPNi14G00" width="1635" height="1268" ></figure><h2>Puss moth</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0cqOc1_0lPNi14G00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0cqOc1_0lPNi14G00" width="1833" height="1130" ></figure><p>The puss moth caterpillar, <i>Megalopyge opercularis</i>, resembles a small egg-shaped object covered with light to dark brown fuzzy fur.</p><p>It's about an inch long when mature and may be found on several species of shade trees and ornamentals, according to the LSU AgCenter.</p><p>In New Orleans, they also are called stinging asps. The fine tan hairs that thickly cover their bodies deliver a painful sting.</p><p>This is what the caterpillars turn into as adults.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2pK9Ty_0lPNi14G00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2pK9Ty_0lPNi14G00" width="1307" height="1585" ></figure><h2>IO moth</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3RaOEe_0lPNi14G00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3RaOEe_0lPNi14G00" width="1664" height="1245" ></figure><p>IO moth caterpillars, <i>Automeris io (Fabricius)</i>, are lime or chartreuse with thin white and burgundy stripes down each side. Their bodies are covered with clusters of chartreuse spines.</p><p>These caterpillars are found in many shade trees and ornamental plants, but they seem to be particularly common on crape myrtles.</p><p>This is what the caterpillars turn into as adults.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2daA9y_0lPNi14G00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2daA9y_0lPNi14G00" width="1763" height="1175" ></figure><h2>Saddleback</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3LMClp_0lPNi14G00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3LMClp_0lPNi14G00" width="1784" height="1162" ></figure><p>The saddleback caterpillar, <i>Acharia stimulea (Clemens)</i>, has prominent barbed horns on the front and rear of its body. It has a bright brown spot in the middle of a green saddle on its center body.</p><p>It may be found on a variety of foliage.</p><p>This is what the caterpillars turn into as adults.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0M8Wcy_0lPNi14G00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0M8Wcy_0lPNi14G00" width="1486" height="1270" ></figure><h2>What to do if you get stung</h2><p>If you aren't allergic to insect stings, you can generally treat the sting at home.</p><p>The pain, itching and swelling will be confined to where you are stung and will usually go away after a day or two, Lemann said. However, the irritation can linger up to seven days.</p><p>Here's what to do if you are stung:</p><ol><li>Rinse with water. Don't rub or press.</li><li>Put clear tape, like Scotch tape or packing tape, over the affected area to remove any spines that are stuck. Use a fresh piece of tape each time you press and remove.</li><li>Ice the area.</li><li>Take oral Benadryl if needed.</li></ol><p>Dan Gill, the Times-Picayune gardening columnist, also said some people find these remedies help reduce pain and swelling from stings:</p><ul><li>Baking soda poultice</li><li>Meat tenderizer</li><li>Calamine lotion</li><li>Aloe</li></ul><p>If the pain lingers or you have an abnormal reaction, seek medical attention.</p><h2>What to do if your pets get stung</h2><p>Dogs and cats can step on caterpillars, but Lemann said it is pretty rare, especially for cats.</p><p>If you think your dog has been stung, you can follow the same steps for humans - rinse and use clear tape to remove spines.</p><p>The most painful part, Lemann said, is when dogs try to clean their injured paws and then get the venomous spines in their mouth.</p><p>After removing the spines, try to ice your pet's paw and apply hydrocortisone cream.</p><p>Most dogs that get stung shake it off in 15 to 20 minutes and don't require professional medical attention, various vets told NOLA.com in 2017. But if the pain lingers, go to a vet.</p><p>about common stinging caterpillars in New Orleans.</p><p><i>Information from this story originally appeared in a gardening column from Dan Gill, LSU AgCenter horticulturist.</i></p></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

4 types of stinging caterpillars live in New Orleans: How to ID, what to do if you are stung

Each spring in New Orleans, as flowers bloom and crawfish boil, a tiny menace lurks in the city's trees -- not pollen (though that's causing plenty of seasonal allergies), but stinging caterpillars. Four types of stinging caterpillars are common in New Orleans, with buck moths caterpillars being the most prevalent...