I was walking on the path next to Stevenson, between Armington and the Douglass parking lot. My friend and I were on our way to her car. I had her cat (Brad) in a carrier, the thick strap resting painfully on my shoulder. I was in a bit of a hurry because of Brad, but I couldn’t help but notice the bright green caterpillar making its way across the damp grey concrete. I paused for a moment to take it in, especially surprised by its vibrant color, before I kept hurrying to the parking lot. I hoped with all my heart that no one would step on it, but knew I wasn’t qualified enough to safely relocate it. After all, the concrete was a part of its habitat, now. Though, unfortunately, this little guy doesn’t fit in nearly as well on concrete as he would on a jungle floor. After a little research, I found out that this was the Io Caterpillar, which later becomes the Io Moth, or Automeris io. As it turns out, if I picked it up to move it, I would have felt the equivalent of a bee sting. With the slightest touch, the Io Caterpillar releases venom from its stinging spines. I’m glad I let it continue its journey without intruding, for both of our sakes.
