Flannel moth

The moth occurs in North America and the New World tropics.

The Puss Caterpillar, Megalopyge Opercularis, found in the Southeastern part of the United States and in which the Southern Flannel Moth evolves from, is a venomous caterpillar that has been reported to cause undeniable injury in humans as a rash known as erucism, caused by its recognizable thick brown coating of hair with a faintly orange strip on the top, that its venom is contained in.[1] The cocoons that these caterpillars emerge from vary in size from 1.3 to 2.0 centimeters and contain small hair pockets on the back and flattened front end that is formed by the operculum.[2]

Adult flannel moths are stout-bodied, and very hairy. Females have thin antennae while males' are feather-like. Larvae are called puss caterpillars and, with their long hairs, resemble cotton balls.They are eaten by green lacewing insects and the Anolis lizard. They have venomous spines that can cause a painful sting and inflammation lasting for several days. In some cases, the sting may cause headache, nausea, and shock-like symptoms. Perhaps the most notorious for stinging is the caterpillar of Megalopyge opercularis. Caterpillars have 7 pairs of prolegs, while other Lepidopterae have 5 or fewer pairs. They feed on a wide variety of deciduous trees and shrubs.[3]

• Natural History Museum genus database
• "Insects of Cedar Creek, Minnesota". cedarcreek.umn.edu. Archived from the original on 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2006-05-11.
• BugGuide
• USGS--Caterpillars of Eastern Forests
• Auburn University Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
• Moths of Borneo—lists the family as neotropical
• Virginia Tech Cooperative Extension
• Ohio State University

• Media related to Megalopygidae at Wikimedia Commons