Crys Spindel Gaston of New Kent, Virginia found herself writhing in pain after brushing her leg against what seemed like a harmless odd-looking caterpillar. However, what Gaston did not know was that it was the 'puss caterpillar' which had made headlines not too long ago not only for its highly venomous nature but also due to its seeming resemblance to American President Donald Trump's hairstyle.
"It was on my car... I didn't see it and my leg barely brushed against it," says a baffled Gaston in her series of funny posts on Facebook, documenting the ordeal. "I could feel the pain moving up my leg and torso as the venom moved. It was wild," she further added.
A Pain Like Hell
To sum up the experience to the inexperienced who probably would not want to go through the same, she likened the sensation to "a scorching-hot knife" which she assumed was caused by a jagged piece of car metal. The caterpillar which causes such unbearable agony transforms into a beautiful 'Flannel Moth'.
She even went on the compare the 'alien creature' to the fictitious alien Tribbles from the sci-fi cult classic Star Trek. "It was no shape of any animal I had ever seen. It was a cross between like a mouse and a slug," she told Virginia Mercury.
A Toxic Hairstyle
The "toxic toupee", a coin termed by the National Geographic for the caterpillar is apt as according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the slightest contact with these can result in an immediately apparent, severe sting to the victim.
For Gaston, it was just one more thing that resurfaced in 2020 to offer a scare. "I swear, this year is something. We thought murder hornets were bad," she posted. However, Gaston also wants to ensure that people know about this seemingly 'alien creature' so that they don't go through the ordeal themselves, "I just want to spread the word. If I can save one person from this hell, I'd be happy," she stated.
