Spine-tingling

From flashing eyespots to irritating hairs, the defences butterflies, moths and their caterpillars use to protect themselves from predators don’t typically cause us serious harm. Among the few exceptions are caterpillars in the South American genus Lonomia. Usually encountered when resting in groups, these caterpillars’ spines release a potent haemotoxic venom, like that of vipers and rattlesnakes, which can cause internal bleeding and disrupt blood coagulation, sometimes fatally. So far, envenomations have been linked to only two species, Lonomia obliqua and L. achelous, but identifying them can be tricky, and two others (L. orientoandensis, pictured left, and L. casanarensis, right) are known to cause similar reactions in rats. A recent field and taxonomic study identified 60 Lonomia species, seven of which are likely to cause severe symptoms. The only currently available antivenom, directed against L. obliqua, is broadly effective, yet recognising this greater diversity could help further improve treatments.

Written by Emmanuelle Briolat

Emmanuelle Briolat

Writer

A researcher specialising in visual signals in Lepidoptera, camouflage and the effects of light pollution, Emmanuelle’s writing covers a range of topics, from biomedical research to children’s books about moth defences.

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• Image adapted from work by Camila González and colleagues
• Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical (CIMPAT), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
• Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, February 2023