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UNITED STATES 



DEPARTMENT of AGRICULTURE 



DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR 288 



Washington, D. C. 



September, 1923 



THE PUSS CATERPILLAR AND THE 

 EFFECTS OF ITS STING ON MAN. 



F. C. BISHOPP, 



ENTOMOLOGIST, BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



CONTENTS. 



Distribution 



Host plants 



Description of stages 



Life history and seasonal history . 



Pa-e. 

 .. 1 



.. 2 

 .. 2 

 .. 4 



Page. 



Injuriousness 9 



Natural control 12 



Remedial measures 14 



There are about 25 species representing about 8 families of lepidop- 

 terous larvse tlie bodies of which are supplied with urticating hairs or 

 spines which produce more or less painful stings when they come in 

 contact with unprotected portions of the skin of man. Among these 

 Megalopyge opercvlaris S. & A. produces the severest sting of all 

 the forms occurring in the United States. In the South these cater- 

 pillars sometimes become so numerous as almost to defoliate shade 

 trees, but their principal claim upon our attention is their sting. 



The occurrence of this caterpillar in great abimdance during a 

 number of seasons in the last 8 or 10 years has given it considerable 

 notoriety in the South. It has been termed '^Italian asp/' ^^ possum 

 bug," ''puss caterpillar/' and, by the Mexicans, ^^perrito," meaning 

 little dog. Each of these names is assigned on account of some habit 

 or appearance of the caterpillar. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



The species has a rather wide distribution throughout the Southern 

 States. It has been taken as far north as A^irginia, is common in 

 Florida, and is not infrequently^ met with in the central Southern 

 States, but appears to attain its maximum abundance in Texas, 

 especially from Dallas southward in the central western part of the 

 State. The related species Lagoa crispata Packard is very commonly 

 met with throughout the Northern States, but its stinging propensi- 

 ties are not highly developed. The family Megalopygidae is rather 

 large and especially developed in the Tropics, many of the species 

 being fairly large and several possessing urticating bristles. 



53529°— 23 



