Why this beachgoer is being criticised for picking up unknown creature
A curious NSW beachgoer has been criticised on social media for picking up and photographing a huge caterpillar in his quest to identify the fascinating insect.
The man perched the fat critter on his left wrist and took a picture, sharing the image to Reddit on Sunday.
“I met this little dude at the beach (Central Coast, NSW). Anyone of you guys knows what species that is?” Reddit user known only as Benedikt asked.
He was quickly roasted by others for touching the creature without knowing if it was dangerous.
“If I didn’t know what it was, I definitely wouldn’t want it crawling on me. Especially in this country,” one commented.
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“Picking up cool looking and colourful caterpillars was how my mum ended up at the doctors with a nasty rash during our first week of living in Australia,” another shared.
“That’s the 3rd most venomous centipede in NSW which makes it the 3rd most venomous in the world. I hope he didn’t tickle you,” one person joked.
Benedikt confirmed he was not harmed during his encounter with the creepy crawly, saying: “He did s**t a brown-greenish sticky blob and waved his horn at me. Apart from that, he was very chill.
“I didn’t find any article describing this species as venomous, so I assume you are pulling my horn?”
Luckily for the beachgoer, hawk moth caterpillars do not bite or sting, but as he found out, they may regurgitate green fluid from a previous meal if annoyed, the Australian Museum confirmed.
Asked by Yahoo News Australia why he picked up the insect without knowing if it was harmful, Benedikt said: “If there would be deadly caterpillars around on the beach I hang out every day for years, I would have probably seen ambulances or hearses on a regular base, so I figured this little dude is not going to kill me.”
Are Australian caterpillars dangerous?
Australian moths and butterflies contain several species of caterpillars that are armed with stinging hairs, which can produce severe irritation and inflammation if they come in contact with skin, according to The University of Sydney’s Department of Medical Entomology.
“The intensity of the irritation, whether it be caused by ‘venomous’ or ‘irritating’ hairs, will be dependent on the species of caterpillar and the sensitivity of the patient,” the bug experts said.
Wheals and widespread rashes can develop, accompanied by inflammation, a burning sensation, dermatitis, papules, pain, itching and swelling of the infected area.
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