Characterization of morphological and biological aspects of venomous caterpillars of the genus Lonomia Walker (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) in Colombia

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Toro-Vargas, Diana, M | González, Camila | Rougerie, Rodolphe | Amarillo-Suárez, Angela, R

Edité par CCSD ; Public Library of Science -

International audience. The genus Lonomia Walker, 1855 (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) is of particular interest to the medical community, since the scoli of these caterpillars harbor a venom that induces hemorrhaging in humans. In Colombia, deadly encounters with Lonomia achelous (Cramer, 1777), have been reported since 2000. There is little information on the main biological and ecological aspects of this genus to help better understand and develop prevention strategies. This study aimed to describe morphological and biological aspects (especially of immature stages) of four recently reported species of Lonomia in Colombia that pose a risk to humans. We collected caterpillars and adults from five localities and reared them under laboratory conditions. Specimens were identified using DNA barcoding and dissection of adult male genitalia. We provided the first description, to our knowledge, of part of the life

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