Can Spitfire caterpillars hurt you?

You might feel the fear of death if you accidently came across a cluster of these gothic-looking grubs dribbling goop. But spitfires, their goop and the grown sawfly are harmless to people and animals.

Are Spitfires native to Australia?

Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. The spitfire sawfly (Perga affinis, family Pergidae) is a hymenopteran insect found in Australia. It is up to 22 mm long.

How do I get rid of spitfire caterpillars?

How do I get rid of them?

1. Lay damp hessian bags flat around the base of the tree. This will cause caterpillars to congregate underneath the bags overnight.
2. Lift the bags in the morning and spray the caterpillars with a good aerosol surface spray insecticide.

Are there any dangerous caterpillars in Australia?

Meet Ochrogaster lunifer: one of Australia’s strangest species of caterpillar, wielding no less than 2 million finely barbed hairs that will inflict a nasty case of hives – or worse – if you happen to touch one.

Where can you find a spitfire sawfly in Australia?

The spitfire sawfly (Perga affinis, family Pergidae) is a hymenopteran insect found in Australia.

Are there caterpillars in Australia that can spit?

No Australian Caterpillars can actually spit. Note that the Processionary Caterpillar is different from those called Spitfires, but it has hairs that cause a burning-like inflamation of the skin of some people if they touch them.

What kind of insect is a Spitfire caterpillar?

Stella Crossley The name ‘Spitfire’ is often given to two common species of Australian insect larvae. One is a Caterpillar : Doratifera vulnerans, which everts stinging hairs when disturbed. It does not actually spit anything, but the sting from the hairs hurts like a burn does.

Is there such a thing as a Spitfire?

There are even myths that spitfires were just something teachers made up to scare children. Well we’re here to tell you that they do indeed exist and, aside from the fact that they don’t literally spit fire, what they’re all about. The term spitfire is most commonly a slang term for several species of sawfly larvae from the family Pergidae.