It was just another Saturday morning. Coffee on the roof of my car, radio humming, vacuum in hand. Routine. Until I reached under the back seat.My fingers brushed something brittle — curled, rigid, and covered in fine spines that prickled through the tissue I used to grab it. Not just a twig. Not normal.
I sealed it in a plastic bag and carried it inside. Curiosity won. At my kitchen table, a quick search made my pulse race. The images matched perfectly: shed skin from a Lonomia caterpillar — one of the most venomous in the world. Its spines carry toxins that can cause internal bleeding, organ failure, even death.
Even discarded skins are dangerous; their microscopic spines can drift into lungs or pierce skin unnoticed. And it had been sitting inches from where I drove every day.I called pest control immediately. The technician confirmed the ID, removed the skin with extreme care, and tore apart my car searching for more. Thankfully, no live caterpillars were found.
Standing in the driveway, relief washed over me, but unease lingered. I’d always thought of my car as a sealed, safe space. Now I know better. keep gloves in my trunk. I never touch “harmless” debris barehanded. That brittle scrap wasn’t clutter — it was a lethal reminder that danger doesn’t always arrive with fanfare. Sometimes it just waits quietly… under your back seat.
