Have seen a few around my tomatoes.

Tussock. Those white things on top will light you up, avoid touching.

pretty much want to avoid touching any hairy caterpillars in general.
i came across a black, and yellow one last fall with long black hairs.
it wasn't a tussock, but those hairs break off, and can embed in your
skin causing intense burning, and itching.


keith

I’ve gotten tussock caterpillars trapped and inadvertently mashed against my skin under my shirt while mowing or hedge clipping. My skin will literally turn into one giant torso encompassing very red, raised and itchy welt. Even the cocoons are a problem. I don’t even have reactive skin in particular and most bug bites or other irritants don’t produce outsized reactions as compared to other people.

The little fibers get into clothing so that if a caterpillar gets under your shirt or even worse, your pants, the fastest and safest move is to remove the contaminated and offending garment as soon as possible. If you have seen a man wearing only underwear running with hedge clippers, that might have been me.

They remind me of those Chinese dragons you see in parades.

Wow, thanks for the replies.