The insect, a rare yellow-colored caterpillar of the flannel moth, now has the nickname “Donald Trump Caterpillar.”
Wildlife photographer Jeff Cremer and conservation biologist Phil Torres spotted the caterpillar in an Amazon rainforest, according to a Daily Mail report. The two men run photography tours from Posada Amazonas, a 30-bed rainforest lodge in Peru.
As you can hear in the video, they didn’t know what to think of this creature when they first saw it. (In Spanish, someone at the end says, “What IS that?”)
Torres told the Daily Mail, “I’ve seen some bizarre looking caterpillars in my time of working in the field, but this was definitely the weirdest one I’ve ever seen. I wasn’t sure what I was looking at at first; it was this big yellow fuzzy thing.”
Cremer added, “On these tours we take tourists and photographers into the Amazon and point out cool and unusual things for them to photograph. We have been leading photo tours together for two years and have never seen anything as strange as this.”
The caterpillar’s “hair” actually consists of setae, which are long, fine silky appendages that, in this case, can cause serious skin irritations. If an unlucky person tries to grab one, they will get a handful of venom, released when the setae poke into skin. Like a bee sting, the injuries can be painful but, for most, are not life threatening.
ANALYSIS: Caterpillars Move Guts-First
As for the resemblance to the NYC real estate mogul’s hair, Torres said, “We put the picture on our Twitter and Facebook page and immediately people started comparing it to Donald Trump.”
He continued, “When we show people the image some don’t even know what it is, some think it’s a mammal others a bird or some have said a plant.”
“But to us and most of the people who’ve seen it, it’s Donald Trump’s toupee — left on a leaf in the Amazon.”
Remind you of anything? The caterpillar that looks just like property mogul Donald Trump
'Donald Trump moth' found in Amazon rainforest
The moth's hair, or spines, are venomous and can cause severe skin irritations
Nicknamed the 'Donald Trump Caterpillar', this creature is actually a flannel moth. They are found in Mexico, southern parts of the US, and some parts of central America. This one was found in the Amazon rainforest
Who wore it best? Donald Trump's iconic hairstyle bears an uncanny resemblance to the flannel moth
Conservation biologist Phil and wildlife photographer Jeff were leading a small group of tourists on a recent tour when Phil spotted the insect on a leaf and was so struck by its fluffy mane he couldn't resist taking a photo.
Jeff said 'On these tours we take tourists and photographers into the Amazon and point out cool and unusual things for them to photograph.
'We have been leading photo tours together for two years and have never seen anything as strange as this.'
Phil, a seasoned field biologist, said 'I've seen some bizarre looking caterpillars in my time of working in the field but this was definitely the weirdest one I've ever seen.
'I wasn't sure what I was looking at at first, it was this big yellow fuzzy thing.
This is the equivalent of the 'Donald Trump moth's' cocoon, however, the larva does not spin a cocoon in the conventional sense, instead the moth separates from its furry skin and uses it as a protective covering while it pupates
After the southern flannel moth has finished pupating and left its cocoon, it looks more like a bee than Donald Trump
'It's actually a flannel moth caterpillar, they're really rare, I've seen this type of caterpillar before but never one of this colour.
'We put the picture of our Twitter and Facebook page and immediately people started comparing it to Donald Trump.
'We didn't see the resemblance when we first saw the caterpillar but looking at the photo it's certainly similar to his hair.
'It was pretty funny, people went mad for the photo comparing it to his toupee.
'I think if Donald saw it himself, he'd find a reason to come down and check the caterpillar out.
'It's not the most approachable of caterpillars either- if you touch that thing it would seriously hurt, it has these little hairs that can poke into your skin and release a venom.
'When we show people the image some don't even know what it is, some think it's a mammal others a bird or some have said a plant.
'But to us and most of the people who've seen it, it's Donald Trump's toupee - left on a leaf in the Amazon."
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