The eerie long-haired caterpillar surprised Virginia, USA! Authorities warn: Do not touch

The cat caterpillar in Virginia, USA, is considered one of the most poisonous creatures in the United States

Recently, a strange-looking caterpillar has appeared in Virginia, USA, with soft "hair" all over its body, which looks harmless on the outside, but is actually quite dangerous. The Virginia Department of Forestry issued a warning urging local residents to be careful not to touch them.

According to the Florida ForestRy Bureau, the creature, commonly known as a caterpillar, looks soft and hairy, but those hairs are actually stingers, which will hook the human skin and produce a sharp pain response after touching. According to research from the University of Michigan, its stingers cause severe pain, itching, nausea and vomiting.

Cat caterpillars are larvae of the Southern Velvet Moth, about 5 cm long, feeding on the leaves of elms, oaks, or American plane trees, commonly found near parks or buildings in the United States, and widely distributed in the southern United States. Some American netizens once thought that its furry appearance resembled President Trump's hair.

According to comprehensive US media reports, Gaston, a resident of Richmond, Florida, was taken to the emergency room in September for touching a cat caterpillar. Touching the "toxic wig," she recalled, "it felt like a hot knife went through my calf," and despite being treated with anti-allergy drugs and painkillers, the wound "felt like it was burned, as if the bones were hurting."