Caterpillars squirm through RBC Heritage tournament
HILTON HEAD, S.C. (WTOC) - Spectators of the RBC Heritage may see some tiny residents of Harbour Town during the tournament.
If you’re hanging around Harbour Town, you’ve probably noticed fuzzy little caterpillars almost everywhere. You’re probably not alone if you’re asking yourself, “What are they?”
Some people told me they’re cute, others said they’re scary. Some said they’re out of this world.
“Really hairy, they have these weird alien antennas on them, but they’re chill, they mind their own business,” said David Anderson, Heritage attendee.
The chill creatures are the caterpillar of the white marked tussock moth, which isn’t very remarkable once fully grown.
“They turn into a little moth, the male is just a little brown, nondescript moth, and the female is kind of a funky little thing because she doesn’t have wings so she looks just like a puffy jellybean,” said Dr. Dave Coyle, Forest Health and Environmental Conservation, Clemson Extension.
Dr. Coyle says it’s natural to see so many right now.
MORE FROM NEWS 12:
- Another nest of invasive yellow-legged hornets is found
- Cicadas appearing ahead of schedule in 2-state region
“Tussock moths are one of those things that pops up every now and again, it’s what we call a native eruptive herbivore, which means every now and again you get huge population booms of these things,” said Coyle.
The moths are relatively harmless, though some people may be irritated by the caterpillars’ hairs.
“They will drop from the trees, and they just crawl up and my god they do make you itch,” said Carolyn Foulk, Heritage attendee.
Because they may cause a reaction, Coyle says to avoid picking them up if you don’t know your sensitivity to them. Otherwise, they shouldn’t get in the way of having a good time watching golf.
“Just don’t get in my drink and I think we should be OK,” said Robbie Anderson, Heritage attendee.
“I feel the exact same way: they can do their own thing, and we’ll do ours,” said Anderson.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
