Extension fact sheet cited in Ridgway Record article about tussock moth caterpillars
The Ridgway Record cited a University of Maine Cooperative Extension fact sheet in an article about white hickory tussock moth caterpillars. The article dispelled internet rumors that the caterpillar is poisonous, when it actually is not. The hickory tussock moth is widespread throughout the northeastern and north central United States and parts of Canada, according to the article. The caterpillar’s hairs can cause irritation or a rash in some individuals, but nothing life-threatening. In some people, “the rash can be much more severe and long-lasting, and a doctor’s visit might be warranted to speed one’s recovery and ease the symptoms/discomfort,” according to the fact sheet.