The puss caterpillar got its name because its fur resembles a cat. These fluffy little critters don't look like a dangerous insect but they have a defense mechanism like one. Their fur is actually covered in venom, and the hairs deliver a sting that is more painful than bees, jellyfish, or scorpions. The sting causes localized swelling, hives, and searing pain.
A woman in Dade City, Florida wrote about her experience with a puss caterpillar on Facebook after being stung. She said that it initially felt like she was attacked by fire ants, and she had an EMT clean the affected area, but it got much worse later in the day, "I was watching my son practice and all of a sudden I couldn’t breathe. I thought I was going to pass out, and then came the pain. In my chest, in my entire right arm, radiating from my wrist all throughout my arm and shoulder. I looked at my husband and said we need to go to the ER right now.
The pain was so excruciating I was hysterically crying in the hospital pleading for the doctors and nurses to help me. Morphine didn’t even touch the pain. I’ve had 2 c-sections, other surgeries, and nothing came close to the pain. It felt like someone was drilling into my bones. Please, please be on the lookout for these things or read about them online."
There are actually 50 different species of stinging caterpillars in the U.S.