Can caterpillars be collected with bare hands? Why/Why not
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they should not be collected bare hands
Some caterpillars have hairs which can cause irritation to the skin and respiratory system of humans and animals - it's a defence mechanism. The scientific name for this is "urticating" hairs.
One particularly irritating caterpillar (or rather its hairs) is the caterpillar of the Pine Processionary moth - the hairs can be fatal if inhaled by pets, and can cause a serious allergic reaction in certain vulnerable people. Here is a good link to an article about the caterpillar of the Saddle back moth, another species with urticating hairs
Some caterpillars have hairs which can cause irritation to the skin and respiratory system of humans and animals - it's a defence mechanism. The scientific name for this is "urticating" hairs.
One particularly irritating caterpillar (or rather its hairs) is the caterpillar of the Pine Processionary moth - the hairs can be fatal if inhaled by pets, and can cause a serious allergic reaction in certain vulnerable people. Here is a good link to an article about the caterpillar of the Saddle back moth, another species with urticating hairs
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