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BugGuide Gathering
Pack Forest
Washington State
July 10-12, 2009
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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Moths » Bombycoidea » Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths (Saturniidae) » Buck and Io Moths (Hemileucinae) » Hemileucini » Hemileuca » Buck Moth - Hodges#7730 (Hemileuca maia)
Photo#328495
close up of Hemileuca - Hemileuca maia
Copyright © 2009 Spring Hansen

close up of Hemileuca - Hemileuca maia
Morehead, Lokegee Rock, Kentucky, USA
August 5, 2009
Size: 3 inches
Morehead, KY 8-5-2009 My son had just finished posing
for a picture after saying “Whoopee!” with his hands up when he
dropped them & then began to scream uncontrollably.
At first I did not know what had happened but he saw
the insect fall to the ground.He was screaming,
“Am I going to die.”I took the image for the doctors.
I figured that when he dropped his hands he
slapped a leaf on the tree/shrub behind him.that this guy/girl was
resting on. He began to swell up immediately. We were hiking
& I had to get help. I have looked online and it looks like a Hemileuca. But sure would love some help. It put a big damper on our vacation. My son
had 38 blisters and they lasted for 2 and a half weeks.
Thanks so much, Spring and son, Caleb

Images of this individual: tag all
Hemileuca sting stage 3 1 of 2 images - Hemileuca maia close up of Hemileuca - Hemileuca maia
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Contributed by Spring Hansen on 3 September, 2009 - 7:07pm

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… john and jane balaban, 3 September, 2009 - 7:48pm login or register to post comments

you're right...
Yes this is a Hemileuca sp., H. maia also known as the buck moth is the only species in the genus in KY. Im sorry to hear about the incident. Yes they do sting and yes it hurts.
… Ryan, 3 September, 2009 - 7:42pm login or register to post comments

 
thank you
Thank you so much for the information. I found it very interesting that the Rangers at the Danial Boone National Forest there had never seen one and did not know what it was. Are there any stinging caterpillars in Missouri?
… Spring Hansen, 3 September, 2009 - 9:03pm login or register to post comments

 
yes
I don't know about other families really, but in the family that this caterpillar is from (Saturniidae) there are two species in MO. Unfortuneately for you, Hemileuca maia is found in MO and so is the closely related io moth Automeris io, which I hear has an even worse sting. I haven't been stung by them though so I can't compare, I'd assume it would be very similar.
… Ryan, 3 September, 2009 - 9:10pm login or register to post comments

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