| Lonomia | |
|---|---|
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| L. electra Mount Totumas cloud forest, Panama | |
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| Caterpillar of Lonomia obliqua | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Saturniidae |
| Subfamily: | Hemileucinae |
| Genus: | Lonomia Walker, 1855 |
| Species | |
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See text | |
| Diversity | |
| 14 species | |
The genus Lonomia is a moderate-sized group of fairly cryptic saturniid moths from South America, famous not for the adults, but for their highly venomous caterpillars, which are responsible for a few deaths each year,[1] especially in southern Brazil, and the subject of hundreds of published medical studies. They are commonly known as giant silkworm moth, a name also used for a wide range of other saturniid moths.[2]
- ^ Chan, Kris; et al. (2008-07-15). "Caterpillar-induced bleeding syndrome in a returning traveller". Canadian Medical Association Journal. Retrieved 2015-03-17.
- ^ Meyer, W.L. (May 1, 1996), "Chapter 23: Most Toxic Insect Venom", Book of Insect Records, Gainesville, Florida: Department of Entomology & Nematology, University of Florida, retrieved March 18, 2011