![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.crosshairscommunity.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/slother.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAt first, Slother didn\u2019t feel anything where the caterpillar stung him \u2014 it was subtle like a pin prick.<\/p>\n
\u201cFive minutes went by, and I felt nothing. I think adrenaline was still pumping. Then at the 10 minute mark came nausea like you wouldn\u2019t believe. It was like someone gave me the flu instantly,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing a heart patient, I was concerned. I told my kid, and he said I should get to the ER.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Slother arrived, his blood pressure was elevated, he was feverish and the nausea had gotten worse.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvangelical doctors didn\u2019t know what to do at first. They had never seen someone who was bitten by a saddleback caterpillar before,\u201d he said. \u201cThey gave me some Benadryl and nausea medication, but it still took a good five to six hours to start to feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Slother\u2019s reaction was typical, according to Randy Drinkard, an entomologist with the University of Georgia.<\/p>\n
\u201cContacting the hollow poisonous hairs or spines causes a burning sensation and inflammation that can be as painful as a bee sting,\u201d he said. \u201cThe irritation can last for a day or two and may be accompanied by nausea during the first few hours.\u201d<\/p>\n
Proper identification is the first step to avoiding a sting.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe saddleback measures about an inch long, and has poisonous spines on four large projections and many smaller ones projecting from the sides of its body,\u201d said Drinkard. \u201cThe \u2018saddle\u2019 consists of an oval purplish-brown spot in the middle of a green patch on the back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Slother asked around after the incident, but has yet to find anyone who has seen a saddleback caterpillar in the Valley.<\/p>\n
\u201cStill, people should be careful. Obviously, these things are out there, and they can really cause some problems,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n