Wow they are very pretty. I like the last one. Reminds me of a red Jelly Belly with snowflakes. It would suck if you accidentally stepped on one though.
Get a whole bunch on a tree and you've got living X-mas decorations.
September 18, 2008
[Image]As I've said before, my wife abominates all things wormy. That includes caterpillars. Our new house's lawn is infested with caterpillars, and they tend to undulate their way into the house, resulting in daily pleas to have me scoop them up. After reading on these caterpillars, I see that my lawn larvae have nothing on these caterpillars of death.
You're looking at a variety of Ionomia moth caterpillars. All are spikey, and none are benign. Quite the opposite. Though the moth is harmless, the bristles on the larvae are lethal. Dozens of people in Brazil die just by touching them. Why? The toxin in the bristles is a powerful anti-coagulant, causing the blood to break down inside the dying victim. Lovely.
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Close this window Jump to comment formVery cool.
September 13, 2008
Wow they are very pretty. I like the last one. Reminds me of a red Jelly Belly with snowflakes. It would suck if you accidentally stepped on one though.
September 13, 2008
You know, anything that LOOKS like that, I wouldn't touch on purpose, for sure. The thorns are effective against me. : |
September 14, 2008
Really that toxic? Ouch!
September 14, 2008
Oh. My. God. I looked up more info on these and they're native to exactly the area in Brazil where my husband grew up.
*gag*
Can you imagine one of these crawling into, say, your luggage?
Honey, about that trip to Brazil? Ain't gonna happen...
September 14, 2008
I like the ring of "killer caterpillar" it just rolls off the tongue.
September 15, 2008
Get a whole bunch on a tree and you've got living X-mas decorations.
September 18, 2008