FIRST RECORD OF Lonomia sp (LEPIDOPTERA, SATURNIDAE) IN THE SPELEOLOGICAL PROVINCE OF RIBEIRA VALLEY, SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL

Galati, E.A.B.(1), Marassá, A.M.(2), Gonçalves-de-Andrade, R.M.(3)

(1)Departamento de Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, USP, (2)Laboratótio de Parasitoses Sistêmicas, Instituto Adolpho Lutz, (3)Laboratório de Imunoquímica , Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

Lonomia sp, which larvae produce toxins that cause Haemorrhagic Syndrome, is reported for the first time in Iporanga county, situated in the Speleological Province of the Ribeira Valley, São Paulo State, Brazil. One last instar larva was collected in the yard of a residence of "Bairro Serra", a district of Iporanga county. This district is located on the banks of the Betary River, a tributary of the Ribeira River, on the road that links Iporanga and Apiaí counties, about 5 km from the Santana cave, the principal tourist attraction of the "Parque Estadual Turístico do Alto Ribeira", PETAR. This area encloses dwelling-houses inhabited by residents and several hostels which lodge tourists that visit the caves at weekends and holidays.

The environment on which the larva was collected consist of an orchard with some remaining large primitive Atlantic forest trees which are surrounded by primary woods. The larva was collected on May 26 2002, during a nocturnal capture of phlebotomines and flies (Diptera, Psychodidae) using Shannon traps, between 3 and 4 a.m., on the ground close to the traps. The ecosystem shared by “Bairro Serra” resemble the ones in the south of Brazil, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul State, where the accidents with Lonomia sp caterpillar are frequently reported. Considering the mortality rate caused by this caterpillar venom in the south of Brazil, an evaluation of the contact risk with this larvae in this ecosystem is necessary to prevent accidents involving residents and tourists.

Supported by FAPESP - process 00/06811-0. 

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