GREEN COVE SPRINGS – In Florida, we have a huge range of animals and plants that pack a bite. Who hasn’t felt the burn of the fire ant or the sting of a nettle? However, many people never think that on their landscape plants, some fairly cute but painful creatures are feeding on the leaves.

Bristles and Spines
In Florida, we play host to four common stinging caterpillars: the puss caterpillar, saddleback caterpillar, Io moth caterpillar and the hag caterpillar. Each of these individuals has hairs or spines that are connected to poison glands. With contact, the poison can cause a range of issues depending on the individual with some only experiencing itching or burning sensations while others may require medical attention.
One item to note is that while stinging caterpillars have hairs and spines, many non-stinging varieties do as well as they use this defensive strategy to ward off predators.

Identifying Your Fuzzy Friends
The puss caterpillar is about 1 inch long and covered completely in gray to brown hairs. They are most commonly found in oaks and citrus and have two generations per year, one in the spring and another in the fall.
Compared to the puss moth, the saddleback caterpillar is much more showy, with a green “saddle” and white outlines covering its back. It is around 1 inch in length and the hairs that house the stingers are found in projections at the front and rear of the body.
The Io moth caterpillar is also fairly showy and has a green body with a red and white stripe down its side. On the body in rings, you can find the protruding hairs. They are about 2 inches in length and can be found outside now on many broadleaf plants.
Finally, the hag caterpillar can be distinguished by its light to dark brown color and around nine pairs of spines that curve out away from the body. It may not be as common as the others but can be found on many landscape plants.
Outside of these four major varieties, others do exist in our area so it is best to play it safe with any caterpillar unless you have a positive identification.

What To Do
Stinging caterpillars are very tempting to touch for children and adults alike. In fact, there is an Io caterpillar on my desk right now that looks very soft and cute. However, the sting is not worth it.
If you are stung, use tape to remove the spines and then apply ice to reduce the pain. Follow this with a paste of baking soda and water. If allergy-like symptoms develop or you have a history of asthma or allergies, you will want to seek medical attention immediately.
If found in your landscape and you want to rid yourself of the stinging threat, remove them while wearing thick gloves and crush them. They are usually not in large enough of numbers to warrant pesticides but products containing Bt or labeled for caterpillar control are effective. Make sure to read and follow the pesticide label at all times to ensure safety for yourself, others and the environment.
If you have any questions about gardening in Florida, call the UF/IFAS Clay Count Extension Office at (904) 284-6355. Furthermore, if you are interested in learning more about gardening in Florida, consider participating in our online “Welcome to Florida Gardening” class that can be completed at home, at your own pace. Register online here.