Processionary Caterpillars  "(*__*)"❤i❤i❤i❤i❤i❤i❤i❤i
Channel: zuditaka
Date: 31/03/2015

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a thousand steps!"


◔_◔')n)n)n)n)n)n)n)n)n)n


Found another long looooong line of marching caterpillars today. Are these Processionary Bag-shelter Moth caterpillars (Ochrogaster lunifer) of some sort? Still, they make lovely, cute and furry visitors around my grounds, though, and even do the amazing camouflage trick of turning into a snake!


"(*__*)"❤i❤i❤i❤i❤i❤i❤i❤i


What would you do if you stopped your car to let a line of slow processional caterpillars cross the road and, suddenly, traffic behind you, oblivious of the phenomenon, started tooting and honking at you, angrily and violently, as you wait for the caterpillars to clamber to safety? Would you give in, and drive over the caterpillars, or stand your ground?


The Queensland Museum factsheet says that Bag-shelter Moths should be treated with great caution:


"All stages, eggs, caterpillars and adults, of Bag-shelter Moths have irritating hairs, and should be regarded as dangerous and never handled. 


"The extremely furry processionary caterpillars have a notorious reputation for causing irritating rashes. Where a caterpillar comes into contact with the skin an intensely itchy dermatitis usually develops and in some people this can cause a severe allergic reaction. The caterpillars are completely covered with long, thin hairs that taper to a fine point and are very brittle."


( ͠° ͟ل͜ ͡°)❧㋛❧㋛❧㋛❧㋛❧㋛❧㋛❧