This Insane Looking Caterpillar Has Been Spotted in Texas

Texans better watch their step! A furry, and quite quick, little creature was spotted cinching its way through Houston, Texas!

Tis the season for caterpillars to begin crawling their way out of the woodwork. Soon, those caterpillars will turn into beautiful winged creatures. But while we all know about the very hungry caterpillar, these caterpillars spotted in H-Town were anything but cute!

This fuzzy, black caterpillar was spotted in Houston by a KHOU 11 producer that had many questioning "what the heck is that?!"

Look at how quick it's going! At first sight, it looks like just a roll of dust in the wind! Someone also pointed out that it kind of looks like a soot sprite straight out of Studio Ghibli movies!

But what exactly is this creature that seems to be hauling butt like it's late for a very important date? According to KHOU 11, who had to do some research on the little guy; this is a salt marsh caterpillar! And I think that the main question on everyone's mind was "is this dangerous?!" I've got good news- it's completely harmless.

I think this video was the first time I ever learned that fuzzy caterpillars don't turn into butterflies, they turn into moths! The salt marsh caterpillar will turn into a tiger moth!

According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, the scientific name for them is Estigmene acrea. They won't sting or bite you, but unfortunately, they can damage your garden by feeding on foliage! KHOU 11 concluded that during this time of year, these caterpillars are abundant! So, watch your step next time you're outside!