If you spot this insect in your yard, you had better know what it is

If the rise of social media has given birth to one thing positive, it’s that people can now share information at an unprecedented pace.

This also means that warnings over potential dangers can make their way around within a very short amount of time, making us all – in theory at least – a little safer.

A few years ago, one such warning was issued by a mom whose son developed a strange, red grid-like mark on his skin after collecting some tree branches one day A short time later he was being rushed to the ER. Now, Andrea Pergola wants everyone to know something that could potentially save lives…

When Andrea’s 15-year-old son Logan was collecting tree branches as part of his volunteer work, he felt a momentary sharp pain when something stung him.

Within minutes, a red grid-like mark had appeared on his arm, and before long it had become a full-blown rash. The rash spread up his arm to his chest, and the area soon burned with an unbearable pain.

Not only that, but Logan experienced dizziness and grew pale. His mom washed the area and rubbed garlic on it in an attempt to pull the venom out (this is often said work with bug stings). Try as she might though, nothing seemed to have an effect.

It was Logan’s grandfather who located the bug that had stung Logan. He donned thick gloves, placed it in a bag and examined it closer.

It was a caterpillar, one both “cute” and fuzzy. It also transpired to be one of the most poisonous caterpillars in all of North America. After conducting some research online, Andrea realized she had to get Logan to the ER, and fast.

“Please research this caterpillar, be aware of it and make your kids aware of it,” Andrea wrote on Facebook.

“It is not native to Florida, but to Texas, and just happens to live here now. Please if you are stung or your kid is stung get to the ER and let them treat you. I can assure you — we didn’t realize he had been stung so many times and normal over-the-counter Benadryl would not have treated this at home.”

Watch more on Logan’s ordeal – and his mom’s subsequent warning – below: