New Orleans' most misunderstood pest is back
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Buckmoth caterpillars have gotten an unfair reputation as villains, an Audubon entomologist says, when they are really just "clumsy babies."
Why it matters: The stinging caterpillars are currently terrorizing New Orleans.
The big picture: The spiky caterpillars can't help themselves, says Brad Hiatt, the assistant curator of entomology at the Audubon Insectarium.
- They emerge from the ground near live oak trees as the weather gets warm and climb up the trunks.
- "They're a little clumsy," he says. "They don't see very well. They're exploring."
- When something bothers them, like the wind, they get scared and let go, he says, falling onto the ground or on people.
- Their venomous spines are pressure sensitive, so they sting as a bodily function, not as an act of aggression, he says.
Zoom in: The native caterpillars have been out in full force for at least the past two weeks, which may correlate with the warmer weather, he says.
- Last month was one of the hottest Marches on record, according to Fox 8.
- Hiatt says last fall also had more adult buckmoths, so it makes sense that this spring would have a bigger emergence of their offspring.
What to do: Don't walk barefoot around live oak trees right now and use an umbrella if you're standing under one for a while, he says.
- If you get stung, use tape to remove the spines. More treatment options.
Zoom out: Buckmoths are among a handful of common stinging caterpillars in New Orleans.
- The caterpillar forms of the puss moth, IO moth and saddleback also have venomous spines and hairs that cause pain when touched.
- The puss moth caterpillar, also called an asp, is the most venomous of the bunch.
- New Orleans has other stinging caterpillars, but they aren't as common.
Go deeper: More about the stinging caterpillars