Announcement To All Members Beware Americas Most Toxic Calerpillar On The Prowl

Macro of A Buck Moth taken a few minutes ago to assist and identify this specie of caterpillar for members unfamiliar with this specie. Included are two images of the actual Buck Moth taken with my android cell last fall. They fly erratic when their wings are fully open in flight there are two black spots one on each side of the wings which as defense look like eyes on the wings. They are brownish with reddish brown markings, this particular Buck Moth sets on the outside wall of the apartment complex I live. New Orleans as other southern states had a mild winter and were seen flying about in January.

no...

https://www.google.com/search?q=Buck+Moth+caterpillar&num=100&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwih3oae_vbSAhXF3SYKHVScB7oQ_AUICCgB&biw=1149&bih=516

but they sure look disgusting.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

Hello Mike, if you have not had an encounter with this particular caterpillar they are highly painful and in some instance cause severe reactions. Thanks for including the link it helps for those who may not have encountered one of these specie of caterpillar.

Stinging caterpillars is a new one on me, never heard of such a thing, apparently we don't have them here.

I remember as a child, in my yard just south of New Orleans, they were everywhere! I learned very young to steer clear of them. I have not noticed them on the Gulf Coast yet!

Hello David, if you look at the link Mike had provided all those spines if you rub against them will in some inject into your flesh and release the venom, and the microscopic spines can inject into your flesh.... One particular I have extreme reaction is the Puss Caterpillar if you encounter one of those they do leave a scar I was stung only once. It will leave a very ugly scar.

Here is the link to the Puss Caterpillar which are abundant also in oak trees and many times can be found on the leaves of Iris plants.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=images+of+puss+caterpillar&qpvt=images+of+puss+caterpiller&qpvt=images+of+puss+caterpiller&qpvt=images+of+puss+caterpiller&FORM=IGRE

Hello Phyllis, that is very interesting and thinking if it is the variety of oak tree that particular caterpillar favors the live oak and the region along the coast the buck moth does not favor the territory or terrain. Also, take into consideration Hurricane Katrina destroyed so many of the thousands of oak trees along the coast.....

The Puss Caterpillar venom has paralyzing reaction to your muscles were it may come encounter with your skin. I remember when I encountered that particular specie of caterpillar it not only paralyzed my arm but triggered a severe lymph node reaction. That specie I think is the most lethal of all caterpillar encounters, causes acute reaction to those allergic......

In Europe we have the Processionary caterpillars. Thankfully it hasn't reached the UK yet but they have reached Northern France. https://www.forestry.gov.uk/pineprocessionarymoth

I'm with David, never seen them here, or even here about them.
One question as a moth do they loose the ability to sting? The moths are kind of pretty.

TL Mair

Hadn't heard of it either Michael, seems they do live in Florida and up the entire eastern coast. I will stay clear. We have black widow spiders and the brown recluse spiders here as well. I just googled some bite images of the brown recluse, oh my God!

Greetings Roy, thank you for providing the link and hopefully the specie Buck Moth does not find its way to the UK. I read the article on the pineprocessionarymoth and as that specie so does the Buck Moth when caterpillar stage they move as they crawl clinging raise their front of the body up and away wiggle and then the back end. As I was taken the image of the caterpillar this morning as the lens of camera got close in defense it raised it body upwards toward the lens and lowered itself back down and crawled along.

Wow, that is frightening! Thank goodness I've never lived anywhere I needed to worry about killer bugs or other creepy crawlies. I'd have nightmares. I did walk down a sidewalk in Miami once and saw a lizard. I was out of there after only one day!

Hello TL, that is a very excellent question but to the best of my knowledge I have never heard of anyone actually being stung or affected when in Moth Stage. As I mentioned to David when your flesh comes encounter with the spines or more of a microscopic hair like, the hairs will penetrate the skin. The generally take flight at dusk as the sun sets but do fly about during the daylight hours as a moth, generally nocturnal these do fly about during the day.

Hahaha Patricia, the lizards are harmless it's the natives you gotta watch out for. :-)

"We have black widow spiders and the brown recluse spiders here as well. I just googled some bite images of the brown recluse, oh my God! "

Those are things we do have to watch out for here, though the recluse's are very rare, the black widows are everywhere though.

Patricia, lizards are awesome, why be afraid? I've considered owning one as a pet.

While I am not a fan of our sub freezing winters I do recognize one of the benefits is those cold temps keep the bugs relatively in check overall.

Hello Mario, as you mentioned you have not seen the Buck Moth in your area. In Florida as well as New Orleans years past infestation of Puss Caterpillar which a entomologist in the Tampa area consider the encounter lethal or highly allergic reaction such as myself. Last year the entire landscape of Yellow iris were infested in the planting area and alerted the office to inform all the residents and especially kids in the central plaza of the city block complex. The center is parking for residence and all variety of trees and motes with wild yellow irises. I am careful when those start moving about, their produces a cocoon and in the winder months you see them attached to many of the trunks and leafless branches.

You mentioned Black Widows, after Katrina certain areas surrounding New Orleans the land was infested with a specie the Brown Widow which is equally dangerous as the Black Widow.

DK, I am not afraid of lizards, and they can be quite beautiful. But I figured if they were wandering along the sidewalks, they could also be inside my hotel room. Eeeeek. Just didn't want to chance it.

Hello Patricia, as you mentioned it is frightful to many locally yet hard to avoid since just about every major street is lined with 100 year plus oak trees. Oh Patricia that must have been an experience for you a lizard. Do I dare ask? Have you ever been to the Yucatan and see one of these monster lizards talk about leaping I thought it was a primitive dinosaur guarding the Pyramids.....iguana I thought when I heard one of those rustling in the thick growth around the pyramid It was a dinosaur...lol, lol, lol.....

As long as they have legs, I'm fine! If a snake showed up, you'd have to take me to the nearest emergency room.

https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef003

David, I was bitten by a brown twice, I was sitting outside under the balcony one evening and there was a breeze and sitting on the steps and right before my eyes one spun down landed on my right arm and stung me and the wind blew the silk strand with the spider on my left. Within two days my left arm looked like a volcano had erupted, you say Oh My God, well I nearly thought I would loose my left arm. I did go to the hospital and was treated and though I have seen others with the scar mine scar over time went away they are a ugly sight. I actually took a photo of the Brown recluse which stung me my left arm but it is too graphic to look at.

My tenant was bitten by one and his scar remained on the back of his leg and looks like brown leather instead of skin.

Oh Patricia, you would be in a heap of trouble here! Lol. Just the other day I spent almost all day with this snake while doing a repair for a customer's shed.

I'm with you on snakes Patricia, at least the venomous kind, we have a lot of rattlers around these parts. However the non venomous water/garden variety don't bother me. I remember walking along a pond, for some reason a lot of the water snakes were out sun bathing on the trail. I saw a couple coming the opposite direction, the male was squealing like a little girl at the sight of the snakes and tip toeing wide around them like they might leap up and bite him at any second, his girlfriend or wife wasn't bothered at all. lol

Mario I would be so curious out of there if I saw this nearby.....run, run, as fast as you can.

Hello Roy, thanks for that link, I was looking for the name of the other caterpillar many years ago I had been stung by and it was the Saddleback Add to dictionary those are equally painful and also found on azaleas and Iris leaves. Wow, that is toxic sting.....but its the Puss Caterpillar which I am always on guard that is as lethal as a insect sting can get......

Patricia, I am with you on that one, snakes you might as well send me to the hospital as well. I remember so well my older brother now deceased use to go to the swamp and fetch water moccasins and one bit him and nearly loss his life. My gosh, I remember what he looked like his entire body swelled up it was not a nice sight to see.

David I had an encounter doing a photo shot in the woods of a long time friends family farm. I had laid my camera bad on a fallen tree across a creek and when I went back to get my bag on the tree next to the camera bag was a diamond back rattler he was curled up basting in the sunlight. I froze for about 10 minutes my friend was on the other side and all I could do was grunt under my breath and finally he knew something was wrong and came the opposite way and saw the snake within 12 inches from my hand. He ran and got a large branch and knocked him off the tree into the creek below.....whew I might as well have died that instant..... .

Patricia, come to South Texas; you'll never sleep again.

We had virtually NO winter this year, so will be overrun with scary-crawlies in very short order.
My most-feared is probably the Brown Recluse spider, though I'm not crazy about scorpions, either.
And you're right -- lizards indoors? Not fun!

EDIT to add -- Yep, plenty of snakes about, too, but I've never found one indoors. Found a couple under the hood of my car once . . .

Wow Olga, I have seen as many Oleander's I have seen I have never laid eyes on the Oleander Moth, that is amazing. Very odd markings I am sure there is another specie of sorts and those marking may deter being killed. Growing up my parents had many plants in yard and never recall seeing that moth. As you may be aware the Oleander plant itself is highly poisonous many years ago a Dr. actually murdered his wife using the toxins from the plant as are many other plants.

Its been many years since I had seen a photo of the Luna Moth and they are a greenish color but extremely large. I am sure you have seen the humming bird moth, when I first laid my eyes at dusk I was amazed by the likeness the peak of the moth which favors the Trumpet Plant which produces those stunning flowers white, peach, yellow and look like hanging trumpets per it name.

New Audubon Zoo operates the Insect museum that is absolutely amazing, I remember the museum at Smithsonian spent days there such a fabulous museum

Thank you for the link on the various species of moth, they are stunningly beautiful markings. I do have photo of the Giant Leopard Moth and finally got to see one up close. It was spectacular to view. I am now going to hunt all my hard drives, or disk I am not certain for sure now if it was a 35 mm film or just a few years back when I had my Nikon which I no longer have, I missed that camera and took extraordinary macros.......

Olga, I am sure I have visited your gallery but never before in such detail, your wildlife and nature photos are National Geographic stunning!!!!

I have to laugh looking at all these insects reminded me about three years or so ago, I am standing outside a highly guarded Women's Cancer Facility on the public sidewalk just across the street from the City Block Apartment complex I reside, One of the guards who makes his round walks up to me and flat outright tells me what the hell do you think you are doing. Here I have my 300 mm lens and who knows what he thought I was doing , and I did tell him I suppose you would not know what that insect was? I told him look a giant green grasshopper and he laughed when he saw what it was I was taking photos of, it was one the largest I had ever seen in many, many years alive and not in a museum.

I politely asked him please step out of view so I do not have you sign a photo release standing in view of my insect photo, and I said thank you and gave him a giant smile!!!! He did eventually move along, on my way to the coffee shop I tell him let me know if you see a rare insect, while doing your rounds, lol, lol, lol.

The hospital sits at the edge of the public sidewalk unless the hospital owns the sidewalk. There are no entrances to the front except French Doors which remain locked, the main entrance is on the back of the hospital. I am certain the reason of such heavy 24 hour guards including off duty police because it is a private hospital and perhaps female clients, dignitaries and famous individuals, you better not even attempt to step foot over the iron gate or else. Employee and guest are escorted to the parking lot adjoin the hospital. And many times some of the longest stretch limo's await for individuals visiting the hospital. It is guarded pretty much like the White House.

Many nights riding home on my bike the other off duty policeman he is my buddy and always has the light on inside of is black SUV, and always waves and many times tells me hello. I do believe they must think I am a news reporter they always see me with my camera around my shoulder..... lol, lol, lol.
.

Cheers from The City That Care Forget, New Orleans,
Michael Hoard

Michael, yes people, especially allergic, have to be very careful with oleanders and many other plants. I caught a humming bird moth on my Pentas one night. Thank you for visiting my gallery and for your compliment. That is funny story your shared. Some commercial places are very protective when it comes to cameras. Very often I sit with my camera in the bushes in my yard, photo hunting on insects and birds Or, I go on the upstairs porch to take a picture of the sunset sky. Some neighbors get paranoid. LOL.



Have you seen the eastern lubber grasshopper? They are big and colorful, though destructive.

Hello all members found this on line today, scientist are now warning everyone be prepared, because of the mild winter across America this winter, the mosquito and tick will have effect on us. Don't we all remember last year and precautions which were present in Florida with the mosquito which carries the Zika Virus.

Here is the news report and story.

Hello Olga, I will be posting a recent photo of some type of calapiller which turns into a butterfly.

Gosh, here is working link.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/mosquitoes-and-ticks-are-going-to-eat-us-all-alive-this-summer/ar-BBzia88?ocid=spartandhp

Wow, it's good to be up on these creatures...as I never knew they existed. I always thought all caterpillars and moths were harmless? I probably would have touched them, I like to watch bugs...loved them since I was a kid. Also love lizards too, used to catch them when I was a kid...owned an iguana, a chameleon, and many anoles. And many other animals. I do not live anywhere near these type of Buck Moth, as I live on the Pacific Northwest coast.

Here is the Buck Moth on wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_moth

Here is the Buck Moth on YouTube: "Watch Out for Buck Moth Caterpillars" @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpEpqbNoPAY

But I did encounter this weird grasshopper/bee/wasp thing that scared the s*** out of me a couple of times, as it dived towards me several times, it was loud too. This is one bizarre insect, I have to admit. It looked like about 4 - 5 inches. I tried to find out if there were anything on these and here is what I found, and these are even bigger. *shivers*

"Giant carnivorous grasshopper" @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUFNo8kHsXo

"GIANT GRASSHOPPERS are back in the Midwest" @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7bu7ET__cQ

enjoy :)

Greetings Michelle, thank you for contributing to the discussion and the links to the buck moth as everyone who has been stung it is painful. I do recall the burning is pretty much as if someone put a hot iron to your flesh. I love the outdoor but from your description of the grasshopper/bee/wasp thing sounds like I too would not want to have encounter with that particular specie of insect.

About two years ago sitting outside the neighborhood coffee shop I had encounter with this large odd looking wasp. I researched and found out what it was, I had never seen one before.

Here is the photo I took of a Caterpillar Wasp, you can not help but notice this insect because of its long body I did not mind taking a photo and did not want to feel what the sting was like. Yikes what the heck is that, I pretty much chased after it and finally it set on a branch and slowly crept up to it, lol, lol, lol. No one in the coffee shop had ever seen the likes of this insect......

Some information about the Caterpillar, known as parasitoid it lays eggs and when they hatch eat the caterpillar inside out, alive....

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/alien-empire-caterpillar-wasps/3415/ Wasp

@Michael Hoard: That Caterpillar Wasp looks pretty cool in red, he looks like an alien spying on you with those big yellow and black peepers (looks like "ant man" in another suit) lol! He looks like his back is against the tree and ready to pounce, I mean sting. Wow, that looks like it could hurt....some great photography!

We have up here gigantic carpenter ants, big black ants, over a half inch...they look like regular tiny ants on steroids.@
http://knockoutpest.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/carpenter-ants-damage-wood.jpg

Look at this red grasshopper, very strange indeed.@ "Funny big, red grasshopper" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZcbBPUl4NA

Michael, a quiet interesting looking wasp, it is an Enicospilus wasp of The Ichneumonidae wasp family as I found

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~dorr/Insects/Parasitoids/Ichneumonid_Wasps/Enicospilus_sp/enicospilus.html

Michelle, the red grasshopper is Phymateus morbillosus. Species of the genus Phymateus are African grasshoppers. The Phymateus morbillosus females are unable to fly though they are although fully winged

http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/465441-Phymateus-morbillosus

I missed the butterfly's break-out, but I watched the first two hours of its life and its first flight

phew, happy we dont have those in switzerland. well, we have pine processionaries, by the law, you must destroy their nests if you find one.

I heard that in tropical forests the insect population is regulated by parasitic mushrooms.
maybe we could put (sterilized) buck moths and their caterpillars in cages in the tropical forest, to find a mushroom that can infect them, and use the spores to control the
moth population.

using a life form as a pesticide has his own dangers, but it is a pesticide that can adapt just like his target insect can adapt to a chemical pesticide.

just like phages (bactery infecting viruses) can be used as antibiotics and easily obtained.

Georg, buck moth is an integral part of ecological system as any other creation by Mother Nature :)

"This species is important as a periodic defoliator in oak forests of the eastern United States but is not considered to be destructive to forest resources. Buck moth populations are regulated naturally by environmental factors, particularly foliage quality, predators, parasitoids, and pathogens. The buck moth has become a species of conservation concern in northern states, where it is threatened by habitat loss, fire suppression and other anthropogenic changes in habitat conditions, and perhaps by parasitoids introduced to control invasive Lepidoptera." http://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/lblack/articles/page1486415779998

Olga, thank you for sharing with everyone the Monarch just amazing and awesome. A National Geographic moment a wonderful video. They are not easily found and in most cases secured or hidden in foliage of bushes and branches. I did slightly darken the image of the wasp to reveal its coloring, but are reddish brown. The particular image was in the shade where the caterpillar wasp came to rest.

One of my all time insects was the lightning bug or firefly I was absolutely fascinated by them like so many who remember seeing them by the billions it seemed. When I was younger my dad one night excited us all and brought us all in a pick up he had borrowed and took us out away from the city. As he brought to a location just east of the city in complete darkness and introduced us to firefly's.

He would then give us all jars to collect them and the jar would pulsate with the most beautiful glow. As we got back on the highway, oh my gosh, he shut off the lights to truck and my mother was frightful of that in complete darkness and millions it seemed. Over the years as New Orleans expanded outwards into the wetlands and the use of chemicals they were never seen in or around the city.

The only opportunity I had to view them again was up in the country of Mississippi, away from populated areas. Many of the old timers would tell me if the firefly is high in the sky no rain, if they are low to the ground expect rain. This made a lot of sense because of associated barometric pressures. Many of the farmers near by my friends farm I new had shared that with me.

Back in the 80's the two story home I resided in sometimes I would open the floor to ceiling windows which led out onto the balcony. I had not seen one since a young boy and a breeze from the Mississippi River had blown one single firefly which attached to the drapes which hung to floor. I had left the room to head downstairs and as I turned to look there it was trapped. At first I had no clue and sure enough it was a lonely firefly the first one I had seen in the city since the 50's. I rushed down to get the latter and climbed up and got it and set it free from the balcony. It was encouraging they were not completely killed from insecticides over the years and the removal of vegetation which they adapt too.....

Georg, you are so correct so many insects which were in large populations back in the 50's along with insecticides and the removal of vegetation I am sure most of firefly's which were abundant those two factors was their demise. I remember growing up asking where have all the firefly's gone. And as you mention many of insects evolve and adapt to the once harsh chemicals used.

Another insect which became somewhat instinct were the small June bug beetle of sorts, which was seen flying everywhere during the night hours nocturnal and would be attracted to porch lights and street lights. They are still seen out in the country but slowly returning to the cities. Prior to Hurricane Katrina I had noticed swarms of them in and around the city in the evening. They do not bite or sting but do cling to your clothing.

Michelle, what a great macro image of the ants, I had to burst out laughing. I just recently seen on TV that sci-fi movie of the giant ants devoured humans, lol, lol, lol. I actually seen it a few times over the years. A tour I think individuals heading to purchase a new resort community and the individuals are caught defending themselves from the giant ants. You pretty much know the story line, nearby was a farm and the ants adapted to the insecticide and turned into colonies of monster ants. I think Joan Collins, you have to laugh here she is huge Hollywood star making her debut in a ant monster movie....lol, lol, lol

And what about the infamous doodle bug, the grey armored prehistoric bug does anyone see that insect much anymore? Of course here in New Orleans just about completely submerged from the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina how many insects were destroyed. It has taken many years for certain insects to populate the city once again....the one and only insect around during that time was the infamous mosquito which survived..

Another insect on the comeback was the black what we call love bugs how many after taking a road trip your entire car is present with their dead bodies killed on your cars. Have not noticed many of those around lately but manage to populate the inner city and not just out in the country.

One insect I am always deluged to see are the dragon fly's or mosquito hawks, they do eat mosquitos. I have recently seen them flying about New Orleans had such a mild winter and early spring. And actually witnessed the damsel fly, looks like a mosquito hawk but isn't but a part of the species.....

I actually chased this one down, I had even asked everyone's help in the discussions to identify it, I had never seen a damsel fly in real life. They tlook like a dragon fly but are not, in the same genre of specie. . They are beautiful insects., I sure miss my Nikon it took such wonderful macros images......

Thank you, Michael! Beautiful pictures of Damsels!

I haven't seen any fireflies around in our area (Stuart, Florida) I planted more milkweed for Monarchs. I saw a few adults flying around my flowers, hopefully new "babies" come soon.

Sometime Euglossine bees visit my place. They are fun to watch them, when they "fight" over fragrance sources.

Oh yes creature feature with giant ants - LOVE that movie with Joan Collins "Empire of the Ants" 1977. If anyone wants to see that for FREE it's on YouTube @

Empire of the Ants 1977 Full Movie Online Watch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCOmB8z3F6I

Four of my caterpillars wee pupating today. I caught one on camera :)

Greetings Olga, thank you so much for the contribution of video and photo post. The Monarch video was extraordinary, the threat of the Buck Moth caterpillar has ceased New Orleans had some heavy severe storms past couple of weeks and any remaining caterpillar were blown out the trees by the storms. Also, New Orleans a couple of weeks ago had the annual swarm of Formosa terminates.

It seems with the rains and annual event usually last week of April to first week of May they take flight and surround night light sources like a thick fog. They are a nuisance in the evenings especially sitting outside dining at restaurants or coffee house. It also funny to watch the reaction when it occurs and people dash about to get away from the terminates......every year the local TV broadcast alert everyone to avoid lights exterior and interior they are attracted to the light source. One station had actually commented some mass swarms were detected on weather radars......I think I may have taken a photo or two but not sure I have taken so many photos in the past couple of weeks I spend hours reviewing them in my achieves.

Greetings Absinthe, I have to laugh back when the discussion was opened it seems one of the sci-fi channels aired if constantly for an entire week. Poor Joan she ended up being killed in the movie after all that escaping them all throughout the movie. I was stuck like glue to the tv screen or at the Saturday matinee of sci-fi create movies from the late 50's, 60's. You do not see them much around anymore, those viewed at a younger age and then seeing them today are hysterical to watch. I remember going to a local theater and everyone gets to scream back at the screen, lol, lol, lol.......so funny to participate with a group of friends.

Thank you, Michael!

I had to look up the Formosan termites. Huh, they are invasive and destructive! They are also called super-termites! These termites are the most economically serious pest in Hawaii, costing residents $100 million a year! There was an invasion in Florida in 2013 as I found out

Damn. I'm glad that the worst things we have around Baltimore are occasional wandering cougars and coyotes. At least you can see them coming. I'm generally not on the lookout for toxic caterpillars.

Wow, scary. Thanks for sharing this info! Nice weekend :)!

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