Subject: Need help identifying what bit me
Location: Northeast
September 26, 2015 5:13 pm
Hello Bugman. I was gardening and was bit by the centipede (?) viewed in the attached photo. It was on the underside of a Manhattan Euonymus and attached to the leaf by what appears to be a bright green vest. This happened in East Setauket, New York (located in Suffolk County on Long Island).
I had extreme pain and a burning sensation that traveled up my arm for about six inches.
Can you identify what this is? Thank you for any guidance you can offer.
Signature: Krista
Dear Krista,
You were not bitten, but rather stung by this Saddleback Caterpillar, Acharia stimulea, a species found in much of eastern North America. According to BugGuide: “Caterpillars are capable of inflicting lasting and painful stings with their spines.”