A mum has issued a stark warning to other parents after her four-year-old son was left with "painful stinging" all over his face and mouth just 30 minutes after picking up a caterpillar.
Caroline Gel, 43, said her son Oliver had been learning about caterpillars at school when he found one on a tree and decided to pick it up while playing outside last week.
Within minutes the youngster from Steventon, Oxfordshire, was complaining of a stinging sensation across his face and woke up covered in hives the following day.
The mum of three searched for advice online and discovered Oliver had picked up a brown tail moth caterpillar, a species which has barbed hairs designed to irritate skin, as a defensive mechanism, Plymouth Live reports.
Caroline said: "Oliver was learning about caterpillars at school as his class were reading the whole hungry caterpillar story.
"So he went outside to play last week and took a caterpillar down off a tree. He even made a little house for it.
"Then around half an hour later, he was complaining about a sting on his face and mouth. My husband had recently cut the grass, so I thought it might have been a grass allergy or something."
The mum, who works at Oxford University, tried to cool down Oliver's face with ice, but was concerned when he woke up the next day covered in a rash.
She said: "It was so bad particularly around his face and mouth, but it was all over his front and back too," said Caroline.
"We took him to the doctors. They said they were unsure of the cause but suggested it might have been hives so gave him antihistamines to help with the inflammation."
Since the incident Oliver has been able to treat his rash with camomile lotion and antihistamines
"Oliver is always outside and is very curious. Normally I would never discourage him from touching things - but these insects are not very nice ones so I want to spread the word and make sure other people don't touch these caterpillars, especially children."
"Oliver was very excited about caterpillars but not anymore. He's very vocal to people now telling them not to touch them."
