Lonomia obliqua
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Lonomia obliqua is a species of saturniid moth ("giant silk moth") from South America. It is famous for its larval form, rather than the adult moth, primarily because of the caterpillar's defense mechanism, urticating bristles that inject a potentially deadly venom. The caterpillar has been responsible for many human deaths, especially in southern Brazil. Its venom has been the subject of numerous medical studies. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1855. Guinness World Records classified Lonomia obliqua as the most venomous caterpillar in the world.
These caterpillars are about 4.1 to 6.7 centimeters (about 2 in) long, with background colors ranging from green to brown. Well camouflaged, they have rows of tubercles crowned with whorls of easily detachable spines of different sizes.
Caterpillars of many species can cause irritation by their hollow body hairs that envenom or detach easily, or can be poisonous if ingested. Prior to investigations into Lonomia caterpillars, it was not known that caterpillars could produce toxins in sufficient quantities to kill a human. Lonomia obliqua is found in the south of Brazil in the states of Rio... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | São Paulo | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lonomia obliqua sighting in São Paulo on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 568th most-seen of the 832 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lonomia obliqua in São Paulo on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Only São Paulo, in our data
São Paulo is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Lonomia obliqua sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lonomia obliqua is recorded against all the insects logged in São Paulo (8 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
