Hylesia metabus
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Hylesia metabus Cramer, 1776
This small moth is found in north-eastern parts of South America, especially around mangrove swamps. Both the caterpillars and the female moths are health hazards, causing a severe and itchy type of dermatitis.
During outbreaks the moths form swarms and migrate. Females (but not males) have urticating hairs on the abdomen which protect their eggs from predators. When the moths swarm, they shed these hairs during flight. H. metabus belongs to the family of Saturniidae and has greyish-brown forewings with a wingspan of around 30 mm.
For a review see Jourdain et al. (2012).
