Megalopyge opercularis is a moth of the family Megalopygidae. It has numerous common names, including southern flannel moth for its adult form, and puss caterpillar, asp, Italian asp, fire caterpillar, woolly slug, opossum bug, [3] puss moth, tree asp, or asp caterpillar.

Megalopyge is a genus of moths in the family Megalopygidae. Beccaloni, G.; Scoble, M.; Kitching, I.; Simonsen, T.; Robinson, G.; Pitkin, B.; Hine, A.; Lyal, C., eds. (2003). " Megalopyge ". The Global Lepidoptera Names Index. Natural History Museum. Retrieved May 16, 2018.

绒蛾科 （学名： Megalopygidae）为 鳞翅目 斑蛾總科 之下的一 科，目前約有221個 物種 已被命名，多數種類起源於美洲熱帶地區，常見於中南美洲或北美洲。 此科的模式属为 (Megalopyge)。

The flannel moths or crinkled flannel moths (scientific name Megalopygidae) are a family of insects. A Megalopyge opercularis caterpillar on Kent Island, Maryland: a highly toxic species

2018年5月16日 · Forbes (1923) and Hopp in Seitz (1934) followed the synonymy. McDunnough (1937) recognized Lagoa as did Davis in the Hodges 1983 Checkist (1). Becker (1995) (2), Epstein & Becker (1995) (3) and Epstein (1996) (4) placed Lagoa back as a synonym of Megalopyge, having found no reason for overturning the synonymy.

The southern flannel moth, Megalopyge opercularis (J. E. Smith) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea: Megalopygidae), is an attractive small moth that is best-known because of its larva, the puss caterpillar, which is one of the most venomous caterpillars in the United States (Bishopp 1923; El-Mallakh et al. 1986; Hossler 2010; Khalaf 1975).

2020年1月20日 · Unlike the similar Lagoa crispata (Megalopyge crispata), it has a tail-like tuft of hairs that stick straight out from the rear end, extending for a length greater than two body segments. (2):

2024年3月1日 · In this study, we used the iNaturalist database to characterize the current temporal and geographic distribution of Megalopygidae in the United States including Puerto Rico. We also describe variations in color and morphology of caterpillars and moths.

這種毛蟲俗名叫「貓毛蟲」（puss caterpillar，學名 Megalopyge opercularis），根據新聞報導，很多美國小孩接觸了之後都劇痛難耐。 其中有些人是因為撫摸了牠們，有些人則是因為貓毛蟲從樹上掉到他們身上而受傷的。 一條貓毛蟲在葉子上覓食。 攝影：George Grall, National Geographic. 佛羅里達大學的昆蟲學家 Don Hall 說，貓毛蟲之所以會叫貓毛蟲，是因為牠看起來就像一隻毛茸茸的可愛家貓。 但儘管這種蟲看起來很柔軟，牠們的外層毛皮底下卻藏有毒性極 …

Among the 11 species in North America, the southern flannel moth (Megalopyge opercular is) is the most commonly encountered by humans. The larva is called a puss caterpillar, referring to its very hairy appearance (Fig. 18.6).