Caterpillar Sting Lands Land O' Lakes Teen In Emergency Room

LAND O' LAKES, FL – A Land O’ Lakes mother is sending out a warning to fellow parents to be on the lookout for a poisonous caterpillar whose sting led to the hospitalization of her 15-year-old son.

Logan Pergola and his family volunteered to do some landscaping in Zephyrhills on Saturday, June 16. While Logan was clearing brush, he felt a sting on his wrist.

He didn’t think much about it at first. But, shortly, a burning sensation began spreading up his arm and a large grid-like rash appeared on his wrist.

He showed it to his mother, Andrea Pergola, complaining, "It's burning."

Alarmed, Andrea Pergola had him wash the bite thoroughly and then she applied some garlic, an herbal remedy used to draw out toxins.

The homemade remedy didn’t work. The rash spread to Logan’s chest and his pain intensified. Andrea Pergola said her son began having trouble standing and focusing on what she was saying.

In the meantime, Logan’s grandfather searched for the source of the bite. He finally spotted an unusual-looking caterpillar in the brush Logan had been moving. He picked it up with gloves and placed it in a plastic bag.

Andrea Pergola began Googling caterpillars to determine what had bitten her son. The caterpillar wasn’t difficult to locate. It is well-known by the Florida Poison Control Center as a puss caterpillar that can be found throughout the state.

"We found out that this particular caterpillar has poisonous hair on it and venomous glands,” she said.

They headed for the nearest emergency room, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, where emergency room doctors immediately recognized the caterpillar and Logan’s symptoms.

They quickly hooked the teen to an IV containing Benadryl, prednisone and anti-nausea medicine.

Meanwhile, his family helplessly looked on and prayed.

"Logan was in and out, really out of it, and in a lot of pain,” said his mother. “After about three hours, he finally opened his eyes and began talking to us.”

Once her son was out of danger, Andrea Pergola posted the incident on Facebook to warn fellow parents about the dangers of the puss caterpillar. The post has more than 415,000 shares.

"We are native Floridians. We are outside all the time -- camping, in the woods,” she said. “We had no idea this was out there. I would just hate for a small child to pick this up. Logan is healthy and weighs 100 pounds. I know this would hurt a small child even worse than my 15-year-old son."

Now nearly recovered except for the distinctive grid rash on his wrist, Logan said the incident won’t prevent him from exploring his natural environment. But, from now on, he said, he’ll do it while wearing gloves.

According to the Florida Poison Information Center in Tampa, the puss caterpillar is a convex, stout-bodied larva, almost 1 inch long when mature, and completely covered with gray to brown hairs.

Under the soft hairs are stiff spines that are attached to poison glands. When touched, these poisonous spines break off in the skin and cause severe pain. It is most often found on oaks and citrus. In Florida there are two generations a year, one in spring and the other in fall.

Some people, like Logan, experience severe reactions to the poison and require medical attention. Others experience only an itching or burning sensation, according to the center.

Images via Andrea Pergola and Florida Poison Information Center