Stinging buck moth caterpillars active in some states

It's stinging caterpillar season in Mississippi and Louisiana - spiny buck moth caterpillars are out and about. The Mississippi State University Extension Service put out a statement Tuesday about buck moth caterpillars, which the LSU AgCenter says can be found from east Texas to Florida and up the East Coast to Maine.

They’re fearsome-looking critters, armed with rows of branched spines that are attached to venom glands. Even a glancing touch from a falling caterpillar brings instant pain and swelling.

Mississippi extension service entomologist Blake Layton says the best defense is to know about the caterpillars and avoid close contact.

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