Small But Terrible - A Venomous Caterpillar

There's a cute and hairy caterpillar who is making a big buzz in the social scene because:

1. It is cute.
2. It is very hairy, just like J. Bieber's swaggy hair before.
3. It is small.
4. It is a caterpillar.
5. It has a funny and weird name - puss caterpillar (seriously!)

Photo credit: huffingtonpost.com

However, don't let those description fool you because what's underneath all that fuzzy hair is a stinging venom greater than the sting of a jellyfish or a bee. It resembles a colored cotton ball it is very tempting to pick up and pet. Do not even do that!

This tiny caterpillar, also called Asp has hollow spines underneath its fur which contain venom. When stung, the affected area will get red, itchy and the affected limb will even have pain radiating up to the limb. The sting may also cause the person to perspire a lot, have abdominal distress, get dizzy, have difficulty in breathing and feel nauseated.

The puss caterpillar is generally found in the southern part of the US, Mexico and parts of Central America. This caterpillar turns into a moth commonly called the Southern Flannel Moth.

What a Sting!

Summer is here! Most of the people will head to the beach this weekend to cool off. However, you may want to check the shallow waters first for some jelly fish floating nearby because summer waters often attract a lot of water species.

A giant lion's mane jellyfish was spotted today at a state park beach in New Hampshire by a lifeguard who immediately requested the beach goers to get out of the water. Many reported they got rashes and felt stinging sensation. More than a hundred has been reported stung by the giant jelly fish.

The jelly fish broke into pieces after officials removed it from the shallow water.