Caterpillars of the
World - Peru
Flannel moth
Megalopyge
or
Podalia
( species
unidentified, ref 001 )
Family -
MEGALOPYGIDAE
subfamily -
MEGALOPYGINAE
Tribe -
introduction
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habitats |
lifecycle |
adult
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Megalopyge or Podalia sp ( ref 001 ), Pantiacolla, Rio Alto Madre de
Dios, Peru |
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Introduction
There are about
220 species in the family Megalopygidae, the vast majority of
which are found in the neotropics, with a few representatives in
North America and Africa.
Virtually all the
species have bizarre and often very beautiful caterpillars, but
the adult moths are by comparison extremely dull, generally being
blackish or ochreous in colour.
Habitats
I have found 2 larvae
of this species, both in Peru. One was found on a sapling at the
roadside at 1300m in the eastern Andes, and the other was found on
palm leaves in a glade in primary forest at 400m on the Rio Madre
de Dios.
Lifecycle
The extraordinary
looking object illustrated above at first appears to be a downy seed or nut, but is
actually the fully grown caterpillar of a Flannel moth. It's
tempting to handle this furry creature but to do so would be
unwise. Hidden beneath the soft hairs are poisonous spines which
pierce the skin and can cause an extreme allergic reaction
resulting in rashes, blisters, inflammation, and breathing
difficulty.
Adult
The adult illustrated
below is a species from Brazil,
Megalopyge albicollis. The
caterpillar illustrated above may not necessarily be the same
species.
Megalopyge albicollis, Rio Cristalino, Mato Grosso, Brazil
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