I was reading one of the Facebook groups and found a picture of the Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar; also known as the black and white tussock moth caterpillar. Someone posted that it is very poisonous and it should not be touched? I started to wonder – how poisonous is it?
It is common for such warnings to be aggregated. I think back to the Hogweed and pictures of people in hazmat suites trying to clear it. I grew one, touched it, and no reaction at all. How dangerous is the Hickory Tussock? Will you die if you touch it? Will you get a serious rash and blistering? If there is a reaction, how common is it?
In my search for an answer, I found a lot of confusing information and realized that many people, including myself, don’t really understand the difference between a poison, a venom and an allergy. Lets have a closer look and understand how dangerous this cutie really is.
Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar
The hickory tussock is the caterpillar of the hickory tussock moth (Lophocampa Caryae) which lives in the eastern half of North America. Eggs are usually laid in May and June on a variety of trees including hickory, walnut, ash, elm, maple and oak. By late summer and early fall the white hairy caterpillars are fairly easy to spot against green foliage.
It is covered with white setae or hairs, and a line of black ones runs down its back. It also has four small clusters of longer black setae; two at the front and two at the back, called pencils.
It’s quite a cute caterpillar and I can see why people might want to touch it.
Is The Hickory Tussock Caterpillar Poisonous?
After checking a number of web sites, I was very confused. Some say the caterpillar is poisonous. Others say the black setae contain a venom and that this is injected into the skin. Some say the caterpillar stings – it is part of a group of so-called ‘stinging caterpillars’. And still other sites say that the rash people get is an allergic reaction.
Popular sites like news outlets and some health centers warn about how dangerous this animal is. One should never touch it for fear of serious reactions. Other sites say that most people will show no reaction.
I thought I was asking a simple question, but it turned out to be complex, mostly because people are not very careful about the words they use.
Poison vs Venom – What is the Difference?
Both are chemicals that can result in a reaction when it comes into contact with a target animal – us in this case.
The difference is in how the chemical is transferred to us. If the source is coated with it and we touch it, then it is a poison. If the source has a mechanism for injecting it or spraying it onto us, it is a venom. A bee sting and a snake bite are both venom because they are injected into our skin. If this same chemical was a slime on the outside skin of a snake, and we touched the snake, it would be a poison.
This video explains it well.
If the above video does not play try this link: https://youtu.be/KnJ4_xRfxpA
This description discusses poisons, but what exactly is a poison?
Poison vs Allergic Reaction
What is the difference between a poison and an allergic reaction.
A poison is a chemical that causes harm to our body. Dose is important, but in general, a given poison will affect all of use in the same way. For example, we will all be killed if we ingest too much arsenic.
When a chemical does not directly harm us, but instead causes our immune system to react to the chemical it is called an allergen. Allergens can also be things like dust and pollen. When the reaction is on the surface of the skin it is called allergic contact dermatitis.
When you touch poison ivy, your skin is exposed to a chemical called urushiol. In normal doses this chemical is not poisonous, but it does cause an allergic reaction in about 80% of the population. It is our immune system that causes the body to swell and get red. We should really rename this plant and call it ‘allergenic ivy’.
A key distinction between a poison and an allergen is that not everyone in a population reacts to the allergen. In contrast, everyone reacts to arsenic.
What Causes the Hickory Tussock Rash
Some of the hairs on this caterpillar have barbs, and can get stuck in your skin. They then break off, leaving small ‘little spears’ in your skin which can cause an allergic reaction.
The longer black hairs do contain a venom and when these get stuck in your skin they can inject a chemical. If these hairs break off, excess chemical can also be spread onto the surface of your skin. Both situations can cause an allergic reaction.
Is the hickory tussock moth caterpillar poisonous? No, however it is venomous.
Does the hickory tussock moth caterpillar sting? That depends on the definition of the word ‘sting’, but it does not sting in the sense of a bee attacking you and inserting a stinger into your skin. The caterpillar has no control over the movement of the hairs.
All of the symptoms described for this caterpillar are allergic reactions.
Update: October 10, 2018
After writing this article I found an article by Craig Biegler, Naturalist at Highbanks Metro Park that says, “these caterpillars have no venom or poison”. I’ve asked Craig for a reference. At this point it is not clear if the caterpillar is in fact venomous.
How Serious Are the Allergic Reactions?
This question is always hard to answer because everyone reacts differently, and anyone who has a serious allergic reaction will consider this caterpillar very dangerous. The reality is that the seriousness of reactions are much lower than reported by social or traditional media.
Jace Porter, from The Caterpillar Lab in Keene, New Hampshire, says “This particular caterpillar tends to get a bad rap. This stems from irritants on the caterpillar’s white hairs which, in rare cases, cause allergic reactions when they come in contact with human skin. Sometimes, people who touch the caterpillars develop slight redness on their skin and, less frequently, an itchy, burning rash.”
David Wagner, an entomologist at the University of Connecticut “estimates that only about one out of 100 people will experience allergic reactions. You’d have to have extremely sensitive skin,” and he’s never met anyone who’s had a reaction after touching a hickory tussock.
This study looked at three hundred and sixty-five exposures to Lophocampa caryae caterpillars (hickory tussock) that were reported to a certified regional poison information center over a 2-year period. “Pediatric exposures were responsible for 80% of the reports and 92.1% were dermal exposures, 7.5% oral, and 0.4% ocular”.
“Dermal exposures with minimal symptoms were treated at home with the supportive measures of hair and spine removal, irrigation, antihistamine, and/or topical steroid administration. Symptom resolution occurred within 24 hours. Symptomatic patients with oral exposures and positive visualization of hairs or spines, were referred to an emergency department for medical evaluation and removal of the caterpillar hairs. Removal of the defensive guard hairs or spines is the primary treatment. ”
Unfortunately this study does not give us an indication of the frequency of exposures but it is surprising that 7.5% are oral. That is probably explained by the fact that 80% of the exposures were for children. Swallowing the caterpillar can be serious for very small children.
Citizen Science at its Best
How could I resist? I had to see what an exposure does to my skin. It was easy to find one of these guys in the garden and I used the back of my hand, where the skin is more sensitive, to rub up against the caterpillar. I touched it several times and pressed fairly hard on the hairs.
Nothing happened. I did not see any hairs stuck into my skin, but they could be there. There was no immediate reaction, and no reaction over the next day or two.
Admittedly, I am not very allergic to things. I have had poison ivy in the past and maybe slight hay fever symptoms.
Statements such as “Most people who handle these creatures will experience a burning, nettle-type, itchy rash of mild to moderate severity” seem to be highly exaggerated and verge on fear mongering. One in a hundred is hardly ‘most people’!
Children are at risk. The caterpillar looks very warm and fuzzy and I can see children playing with it and even eating it, if they are very small.
There is also a risk for people that tend to have a lot of allergies. But symptoms seem to be relatively mild provided the caterpillar is not ingested.
Update: October 10, 2018
I decided to make a movie to show the reaction caused by rubbing the caterpillar. To get the right shots I did a hard rub of the caterpillar on the inside forearm. This was done twice, with each of two caterpillars – so 4 rubs all together. Under a magnifying glass the white hairs were clearly seen stuck in my arm.
There was no rash, but I did have some very mild itching. The area swelled up for 24 hours. See what happened to me in this video.
What Should You Do if You Get a Reaction
You can use a sticky tape and remove the hairs. Wash with soap and water and then apply ammonia or calamine lotion. Icing the area should reduce any swelling or itching.
If you have a more serious reaction seek medical help.
More Dangerous Caterpillars
There are some caterpillars that are more dangerous and this link provides some great pictures and information.
Stinging Caterpillars: http://enpp.auburn.edu/outreach/web-publications/stinging-caterpillars/
References:
- Image source: The Tooth Fairy
I just had one of these on my neck 2 days ago and see them all the time in my property in NY (Catskills). At first thought it was a fly or mosquito crawling on my neck so swatted it but apparently missed. Felt something crawling a few seconds so this time smacked my neck and ended up being one of these. Got in the house, used some warm soapy water to rinse it off before I was about to hop in the shower anyways, and the following morning I had a rash on the back of my neck that slightly burned. It hasn’t been that bad or itchy and started using some basic over the counter cream for rashes later the next day which seems to help just fine. I’ll give it another day or two and the rash should be cleared up.
I think that further data is needed to assert that these caterpillars only affect 1:100. As an emergency doctor practicing in central NH, I’m seeing a high number of children presenting with stinging rashes after being exposed to the white hickory tussock moth caterpillar. I am not particularly sensitive to poison ivy or other stinging things and had a rather painful rash after one crawled up my leg. Currently, I am trying to console my 1 year old whom I just caught handling one. Only a few minutes after being exposed (the small white and black hairs were all over her hands) she developed diffuse redness and appears to have a fair amount of pain from it. I won’t argue that my number of cases should trump your own “citizen scientist” experiment necessarily, but I’m not convinced that we have enough data to tell the public that the skin reaction is as rare as you are claiming. I think a general precaution not to touch these caterpillars, especially helping children to resist playing with them is much better advice.
The 1 in 100 was a guess by an entimologist. It is not based on documented data.
IN MY EYE!!!!!
In just had s run in with this thing yesterday. I mowed the lawn and got done, was sweaty when I went inside.(about 3pm) So I took off my glasses and wiped the sweat off my face with my arm and felt a crunch and some stinging sensations. I looked at my arm, and BOOM!! There it was. This fuzzy white and black caterpillar. I crunched it in a tissue, naturally. It was quite uncomfortable, borderline painful at that moment. My eye was a mess. I put bunch of drops in to try to flush it, but it also got the skin all around my eye. I thought I had it under control and I went back outside. As soon as the sun hit it, WHAM! Stinging, needle-like sensations around my eye. I covered it and ran for the barn. The evening was a back and forth as far as discomfort. I took a shower and hammered my eye with the water in there, trying to dislodge any prickles that may have been in there. Felt much better after. Slept OK.
Woke up today, was OK. But then I rubbed my eyes around 9am and it was back. I drove myself in to urgent care, they took a look and saw some scratches and swelling on my eye but nothing was in there. Game me some gunk to put in it and some steroids for the next 6 days,.
I was more than mildly disturbed by your rather cavalier comments regarding the Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar as I was in the midst of a severe reaction to its presence on the inside of my shirt collar. I had between 40-50 welts from the middle of my neck toward my right ear and down my back. The itch was intense – almost like a sting. Benadryl and Cortizone-10 lotion did little to help. We were advised by the New England Poison Control Center to use scotch tape to try to remove the hairs. This helped immediately but the itching continued, just at a lower level. In following days I developed welts on both arms, one leg and my torso. My right arm had 12 alone. A week after the initial contact I went to a Doctor and learned that I was in the midst of a Hyper-Allergenic Systemic Reaction and I was provided an RX for medication – which I am still on. No new welts over the last five days but it has taken a week for the new welts to stop forming. Please treat this critter with the respect it deserves. I have photos of my neck if you doubt the degree of severity.
The fact that one person has a severe reaction, does not mean everyone should panic.
Good article. I agree, they were prolific last year here in Vermont and the media turned it into the apocalypse.
I happen to be somewhat sensitive, dermatologically speaking, and they produce a irritating, but relatively mild, reaction on my skin. (Relative to what? Poison ivy and bee stings.) So while I wouldn’t recommend your bold and informative approach to the general public, the effect is temporary and for me was less intense than ant bites.
However, I think you’re nuts with the giant hogweed. Even a 1% chance of getting permanent dermal photosensitivity is too high a risk for me.
All in the name of science, eh?
My 7 year old just had one of these get inside his shirt and he got the big nettle-like bumps immediately. This happened in the same way 2 years ago. He has oral-allergy syndrome which basically means he’s very allergic to some species of trees (which causes reactions to fruits and pollen from those species). So his allergic reaction to the caterpillar makes sense. Parents of kids with allergies should be aware their kids are most likely the one in a hundred.
A few weeks ago we had them all over our cove crawling on the water. Not knowing what they were, my 7 year old daughter and I rescued a bunch. I had about 8 on me at once and no reaction at all. However, two days ago I took my board shorts off the railing of our porch. Evidently one was on them when I put them on. After about 10 minutes I must have pushed up against something and squished it a little and I got what felt like a sting. Didn’t think much of it, but this morning a day and a half later, I have a pretty good rash all around that spot. I’m going to try the tape and wait and see what develops to see if I need to see a doctor.
We just had a neighbor have a horrible allergic reaction to these caterpillars yesterday, including difficulty breathing. Rushed to hospital and still there. So you may not have had any reaction, there ae actually quite a few that do. Keep benadryl pills on hand always for these odd encounters.
Thanks for this article and your experimentation with the caterpillar. I have not been as fortunate in my skin reaction from an accidental exposure to this caterpillar..admittedly I am also sensitive to poison ivy and had a very similar reaction with skin breaking out in hives after the caterpillar fell on my arm unnoticed. It feels like a burn and I developed some painful skin lesions. I do intend to be careful with this beautiful little critter doing it’s own thing.
I’ll direct you to a public post on the “Ohio Mothing” Facebook group where we discussed the misinformation on these caterpillars. I have several posts on there including the current last post that has my favorite story about these “dangerous” caterpillars.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/502729049753761/permalink/977658795594115/
Interesting stories in the link.