I might have eaten a caterpillar; will I die?
May 18, 2013 5:49 PM Subscribe
So I found a translucent green worm thing in some salad I was eating: image. The salad leaves are from a friend's garden, so it's entirely possible that I didn't manage to get the worm off when washing the leaves. I'm kind of worried that I might have eaten one or more of its family members without noticing. So:
1) Can I get an ID of the thing? I think the immature form one of those ubiquitous green caterpillars, based on this ask.
2) Do I need to drink ipecac/see a doctor? If so, how urgently?
Stomach acid is pretty vicious on living things.
posted by typewriter at 5:58 PM on May 18, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by typewriter at 5:58 PM on May 18, 2013 [4 favorites]
See:
Also also, never google things you are immediately upset about! It will always, always make it worse! My boobs itched from sports bra chafing after the gym the other day and google told me I have cancer.
posted by elizardbits at 10:39 AM on April 30 [3 favorites +]
posted by lungtaworld at 6:01 PM on May 18, 2013 [14 favorites]
Also also, never google things you are immediately upset about! It will always, always make it worse! My boobs itched from sports bra chafing after the gym the other day and google told me I have cancer.
posted by elizardbits at 10:39 AM on April 30 [3 favorites +]
posted by lungtaworld at 6:01 PM on May 18, 2013 [14 favorites]
Looks like a slug. Google "rat lungworm" for fun times! (It's usually harmless and temporary.)
posted by Sys Rq at 6:03 PM on May 18, 2013
posted by Sys Rq at 6:03 PM on May 18, 2013
You'll be fine. My husband found one on something he was eating last summer, and ate it on purpose just to get a rise out of our preschooler. He lived.
posted by checkitnice at 6:15 PM on May 18, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by checkitnice at 6:15 PM on May 18, 2013 [3 favorites]
Slimy, but satisfying. Enjoy the rest of your dinner. There are very few animals that are poisonous (i.e., make you ill if you eat them) as opposed to venomous (i.e., injure you by injecting you with venom). For example, it's OK to eat bees, as long as they aren't alive to sting you. Most poisonous animals, including caterpillars, use bright, colorful markings to alert you to the fact that they are poisonous (like monarch caterpillars).
posted by Nomyte at 6:16 PM on May 18, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by Nomyte at 6:16 PM on May 18, 2013 [3 favorites]
You have no idea how many bugs you eat in everyday dining. Most of them are just already in much smaller pieces than your little buddy. Think of it that way. You've already eaten thousands of bugs.
posted by spitbull at 6:20 PM on May 18, 2013 [6 favorites]
posted by spitbull at 6:20 PM on May 18, 2013 [6 favorites]
Yeah I've eaten caterpillars intentionally before, albeit they were fried with spices. You'll be fine.
posted by whalebreath at 6:37 PM on May 18, 2013
posted by whalebreath at 6:37 PM on May 18, 2013
When my exhusband was in New Guinea 25 years ago, one of the tribesmen he was working with (Wonos) would catch moths and eat them (offering some to his companions who were clearly too slow as white men to catch any themselves) as they motored up the river [to murder the trees].
Indigenous people in Australia found the witchetty grub to be an excellent sources of protein, and I swear I was going to eat the one that was being cooked for me on a campfire (traditionally, they're eaten raw) but it exploded, and I didn't want to waste any more of them.
I've eaten snails at a French restaurant. They tasted mostly of garlic butter.
In short, in my opinion, most things like that, that end up in your mouth are either going to do you instant damage (caterpillar hairs, bee stings) or they're just going to be added calories. Just consider that your channelling your lizard brain. Please don't be concerned. It happens much more often than we think (or want to think).
posted by b33j at 7:05 PM on May 18, 2013
Indigenous people in Australia found the witchetty grub to be an excellent sources of protein, and I swear I was going to eat the one that was being cooked for me on a campfire (traditionally, they're eaten raw) but it exploded, and I didn't want to waste any more of them.
I've eaten snails at a French restaurant. They tasted mostly of garlic butter.
In short, in my opinion, most things like that, that end up in your mouth are either going to do you instant damage (caterpillar hairs, bee stings) or they're just going to be added calories. Just consider that your channelling your lizard brain. Please don't be concerned. It happens much more often than we think (or want to think).
posted by b33j at 7:05 PM on May 18, 2013
It was just a little extra protein in your salad. Probably quite good for you.
posted by Justinian at 7:07 PM on May 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Justinian at 7:07 PM on May 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks, all, for putting my fears to rest!
posted by Maecenas at 7:15 PM on May 18, 2013
posted by Maecenas at 7:15 PM on May 18, 2013
Saw half of one of those wriggling on my fork once. It was gross. We canceled the rest of the meal. Proffered excuse was "organic salad." I'm sure it was completely organic to some phylum or order that I would prefer not to be served to me again. Neither of us were ill.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 7:21 PM on May 18, 2013
posted by Mr. Yuck at 7:21 PM on May 18, 2013
Just as a little public service announcement, ipecac isn't really a recommended thing in most situations any more, except for unusual cases (patient can take it within 30-60 mins of poisoning, will take longer than 1 hour to get to an emergency dept, etc).
posted by treehorn+bunny at 7:26 PM on May 18, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by treehorn+bunny at 7:26 PM on May 18, 2013 [5 favorites]
This doesn't address YOUR caterpillar, but just a couple days ago the UN did recommend that we all eat more insects.
posted by Cygnet at 7:57 PM on May 18, 2013
posted by Cygnet at 7:57 PM on May 18, 2013
Considering that the FDA lists "acceptable" amounts of insect matter in various foodstuffs, I'd guess this isn't the first insect you've ever eaten. Just don't think too hard about it and all will be well.
posted by selfmedicating at 8:03 PM on May 18, 2013
posted by selfmedicating at 8:03 PM on May 18, 2013
I don't know if I was as clear as I could have been upthread re: rat lungworm, and everyone else is brushing it off like there's no risk whatsoever, so I feel like I should elaborate:
Little things like this look harmless, and usually are in and of themselves, but they may carry parasites that may make you sick and even kill you. If it were true that "Stomach acid is pretty vicious on living things," case closed, food borne illnesses wouldn't exist. But they do.
(That said, there's not much need for concern unless you actually do get sick.)
posted by Sys Rq at 8:32 PM on May 18, 2013
Little things like this look harmless, and usually are in and of themselves, but they may carry parasites that may make you sick and even kill you. If it were true that "Stomach acid is pretty vicious on living things," case closed, food borne illnesses wouldn't exist. But they do.
(That said, there's not much need for concern unless you actually do get sick.)
posted by Sys Rq at 8:32 PM on May 18, 2013
IANAD; IANAentomologist. But from the Wikipedia page rat lungworm is mostly known to be carried in slugs and snails. This actually doesn't look like a slug to me (no cute little horns); I'd guess it's some kind of insect larva. Rat lungworm is also mostly localized in SE Asia/the Pacific and you appear to be in North Carolina. So, probs not that.
posted by en forme de poire at 9:31 PM on May 18, 2013
posted by en forme de poire at 9:31 PM on May 18, 2013
Extra protein! Sorry to say this, but most of us probably eat these things a few times per year without realizing it. I lived in Africa for a few years, and finding half a worm in the apple (or salad bowl) was a very regular occurrence.
The odds of you being harmed by this are slim to none. As someone mentioned above, stomach acid is very effective.
posted by rpfields at 11:56 PM on May 18, 2013
The odds of you being harmed by this are slim to none. As someone mentioned above, stomach acid is very effective.
posted by rpfields at 11:56 PM on May 18, 2013
Actually, because we live in the same area (hi!), I would put my money on it being an inchworm. You've probably eaten a few of them without realizing it anyway.
posted by oceanjesse at 1:06 AM on May 19, 2013
posted by oceanjesse at 1:06 AM on May 19, 2013
Protein. Yum. You don't realize it, but you've eaten worse and NOT noticed. We all have.
posted by brownrd at 11:26 AM on May 19, 2013
posted by brownrd at 11:26 AM on May 19, 2013
It looks like it's a syrphid fly larva.
posted by silence down below at 2:56 PM on May 19, 2013
posted by silence down below at 2:56 PM on May 19, 2013
I will just leave this HERE
The FDA guide to allowable, natural, or unavoidable defects.
posted by couchdive at 3:12 PM on May 20, 2013
The FDA guide to allowable, natural, or unavoidable defects.
posted by couchdive at 3:12 PM on May 20, 2013
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posted by Salamander at 5:57 PM on May 18, 2013 [1 favorite]