Did Donald Trump happen to lose one of his signature hairpieces in the Amazonian wilds of Peru? Wildlife photographer Jeff Cremer snapped this image of a caterpillar sporting the Republican candidate’s signature bright orange-yellow tufts of hair while on a scouting expedition in Peru.
The flannel moth caterpillar’s bright yellow-orange tufts are suggestive of a certain presidential candidate. (Image: Credit: Jeff Cremer)
“I was putting on my boots and someone said, ‘Hey, check out this caterpillar hanging out,’” Cremer recalled. “Sure enough, it was Donald Trump’s hair hanging on a branch.” He’s dubbed it the “Trumpapillar”.
The locals in the Peruvian Amazon call the critter ovejillo (“little sheep” in Spanish), but its full name is Megalopyge opercularis, or colloquially, the flannel moth caterpillar. It’s tiny, just 8cm long, and its fluffy tufts can be red, white or pink, as well as that Trump-tastic Day-Glo yellow.
But don’t let that adorable fluffy exterior fool you into thinking it’s harmless. The flannel moth caterpillar is actually venomous, and the hairs have very sharp, hollow spines, akin to a hypodermic needle, the better to puncture your skin and deliver a powerful dose of poisonous toxin. Yep, just like tarantulas, which at least have the decency to look scary. They can break off and lodge in your skin, too. The result, according to Cremer, is bright red welts and rather excruciating pain.
There’s some kind of metaphor in there, maybe.