Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
Caterpillars of many species can cause irritation by their hollow body hairs that envenom or detach easily, or can be poisonous if ingested. [5] Prior to investigations into Lonomia caterpillars, it was not known that caterpillars could produce toxins in sufficient quantities to kill a human.
The appearance of a caterpillar can often repel a predator: its markings and certain body parts can make it seem poisonous, or bigger in size and thus threatening, or non-edible. Some types of caterpillars are indeed poisonous or distasteful and their bright coloring warns predators of this .
Lonomia sp.. The genus Lonomia is a moderate-sized group of fairly cryptic saturniid moths from South America, famous not for the adults, but for their highly venomous caterpillars, which are responsible for a few deaths each year, [1] especially in southern Brazil, and the subject of hundreds of published medical studies.
A tail-like spine protruding from the back of the body is a typical for sphingid moth caterpillars, known as “hornworms”. [2] This horn, which may sometimes be yellow and have a black tip, is not a stinger, and the caterpillars are not harmful to humans. [7] The larvae can also sometimes be lime green and black.
Hairs from the caterpillars are toxic for humans, [5] causing a poison ivy-like itchy rash of up to sometimes weeks-long duration due to mechanical and chemical irritation. [6] [7] Direct contact with larvae is not necessary, as the hairs are shed and can become windblown. [5] Toxins in the hairs remain potent for up to three years.
Caterpillar. The moths pose an increasing nuisance to humans as their range is extended. [6] The backs of older caterpillars (3rd to 6th instars) are covered with up to 63,000 pointed defensive bristles, [citation needed] sized between 0.2 and 0.3 millimeters, which contain an urticating toxin, the protein thaumetopoein. [7]
The caterpillar has been reported to cause irritation to humans. [1] [2] [3] Like all limacodids, the legs are shortened and the prolegs are reduced to suction cups. The "arms" or tubercles can fall off without harming the caterpillar, aiding the larva in defense. The larvae are 1.5–2.5 centimetres (0.59–0.98 in) in length. [1] [2]
Acharia stimulea is known for having one of the strongest stings and, because the saddleback caterpillar is commonly found in ornamental plants, gardeners are most at risk of accidental exposure. The spines along the caterpillar, when broken, will release an irritating toxin into its victims that is known to cause acute urticaria in humans. [3]