''Lonomia achelous'', the Brazilian caterpillar or giant silkworm moth caterpillar, is a venomous caterpillar endemic to South America. The species was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1777.

Description and behavior

These caterpillars measure 50 mm in length, have a thick, bristle-covered body which is greenish brown, and a dark brown or black head capsule. Juveniles are usually light green, and darken with age. The moth's eggs are light greenish yellow in the shape of a barrel; they are placed in suitable host plants. The moth has a coloration of several shades of pale to medium brown, the wings are similar to a dead leaf, has a dark central fixation at the tip of the wing. During the larval phase they are

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

, and they feed on leaves of shrubs and several woody trees. They are usually grouped on trunks or at the bottom of the same plants during the day. The larvae are covered by pointed hollow spines (spicules), the venom is injected into any intruder when fixed on the skin and broken.Living Hazards Database (LHD) – Search by Scientific Name
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Distribution and habitat

It is found in South America, in

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

, Brazil,

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

, Ecuador, French Guiana,

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

, Peru,

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

and Venezuela.

Venom

''Lonomia achelous'' venom has potent procoagulant and anticoagulant activity, Lonomin II and Lonomin I activate fibrinolysis, and Lonomin V is a Factor XIII protease, there's also a mild DIC with ''L. achelous'' envenomation attributable to procoagulant activity of Lonomin IV (Factor Xa-like activator). However, the main mechanism of L. achelous envenomation is intense fibrinolysis, as suggested by the prolonged eugoblin lysis time seen in almost all patients.

References

Saturniidae Lepidoptera of South America {{Saturniidae-stub