Venom of the Megalopyge urens (Berg) Caterpillar

Ardao, Maria Isabel; Perdomo, Cintya; Pellaton, M. G.

doi:10.1038/2091139a0

Cited by 17 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…A venom spine extract injected into mice resulted in pain-like behaviours, bristling, profuse defecation, difficulty walking, and death after one hour (Foot, 1922). The venom of Megalopyge urens has been shown to have hyaluronidase and protease but not phospholipase A2 or nuclease activity, and to have little effect on blood coagulation (Ardao et al, 1966). Hydroquinone, nicotine, and isopropyl miristate were also identified in venom of an unidentified Venezualan megalopygid (Deml and Epstein, 2001a;Deml and Dettner, 2003).…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Entomo-venomics: The evolution, biology and biochemistry of insect venoms

Walker

Robinson

Yeates

et al. 2018

Toxicon

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The insects are a hyperdiverse class containing more species than all other animal groups combined-many of which employ venom to capture prey, deter predators and microorganisms , or facilitate parasitism or extra-oral digestion. However, with the exception of those made by Hymenoptera (wasps, ants and bees), little is known about insect venoms. Here, we review the current literature on insects that use venom for prey capture and predator deterrence, finding evidence for fourteen independent origins of venom usage among insects, mostly among the hyperdiverse holometabolan orders. Many lineages, including the True Bugs (Heteroptera), robber flies (Asilidae), and larvae of many Neuroptera, Coleoptera and Diptera, use mouthpart-associated venoms to paralyse and pre-digest prey during hunting. In contrast, some Hymenoptera and larval Lepidoptera, and one species of beetle, use non-mouthpart structures to inject venom in order to cause pain to deter potential predators. Several recently published insect venom proteomes indicate molecular convergence between insects and other venomous animal groups, with all insect venoms studied so far being potently bioactive cocktails containing both peptides and larger proteins, including novel peptide and protein families. This review summarises the current state of the field of entomo-venomics. 1. Multiple independent origins of venom use among insects The >5 million species of insects estimated to exist on earth today make up the majority of eukaryotic species (May, 1988; Stork, 2018). Moreover, insect diversity goes further than just vast numbers of species. Hexapods (including insects) diverged from their closest relatives, the cave-dwelling remipede crustaceans, ~479 mya, and true insects (Ectognatha) emerged ~440 mya when they diverged from the entognathous hexapods (Collembola, Diplura and Protura) (Misof et al., 2014). Since their early evolution as one of the first animal groups to adapt to terrestrial lifestyles, the insects have undergone a spectacular evolutionary radiation and today occupy a diverse array of ecological niches. Major adaptations powering this radiation include the early adoption of powered flight and copulation for sperm transfer by the early Pterygota, a group that includes all orders except Archaeognatha (jumping bristletails) and Zygentoma (silverfish). Holometabolous development-in which larvae must pass through metamorphosis to become adults which differ markedly in their morphology-probably further drove diversification by allowing a single species to occupy multiple niches at different life stages. Of the 34 extant orders, 18 are descended from a holometabolous ancestor that lived ~345 mya (Misof et al., 2014), including the hyperdiverse insectan orders Hymenoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. Only one of the hyperdiverse orders, Hemiptera, is hemimetabolous. Alongside these major trends, a multitude of trophic strategies, mating systems and life histories evolved, entailing adaptations spanning the biochemical, morphological and behavi...

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Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Entomo-venomics: The evolution, biology and biochemistry of insect venoms

Walker

Robinson

Yeates

et al. 2018

Toxicon

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“…This species is the most widely distributed of the genus, being reported from the southern states of the USA to South America 8 . Other Megalopyge species, including M. urens, M. lanata, and M. krugi from Central and South America, have the potential to cause severe stings 9 , 10 . Therefore, taxonomic identification of venomous caterpillar species at the outbreak location is ecologically and epidemiologically relevant 11 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In vitro antitumor, pro-inflammatory, and pro-coagulant activities of Megalopyge opercularis J.E. Smith hemolymph and spine venom

Orozco-Flores

Valadéz-Lira

Covarrubias-Cárdenas

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Contact with stinging spines venom from several Lepidoptera larvae may result in skin lesions. In Mexico, envenomation outbreaks caused by Megalopyge opercularis were reported between 2015 and 2016. The aim of this study was to identify the venomous caterpillars in Nuevo Leon, Mexico and evaluate several biological activities of their hemolymph (HEV) and spine setae (SSV) venoms. M. opercularis was identified by cytochrome oxidase subunit (COI) designed primers. HEV and SSV extracts cytotoxic activity was assessed on the L5178Y-R lymphoma cell line. For apoptotic cells number and apoptosis, cells were stained with acridine orange/ethidium bromide and validated by DNA fragmentation. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMC) cytokine response to the extracts was measured by the cytometric bead array assay. Extracts effect on pro-coagulation activity on human plasma was also evaluated. HEV and SSV extracts significantly inhibited (p < 0.01) up to 63% L5178Y-R tumor cell growth at 125–500 µg/mL, as compared with 43% of Vincristine. About 79% extracts-treated tumor cells death was caused by apoptosis. Extracts stimulated (p < 0.01) up to 60% proliferation of resident murine lymphocytes, upregulated IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α production by hPBMC, and showed potent pro-coagulant effects. The pharmacological relevance of these venoms is discussed.

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“…26 Other Megalopyge species, including M urens, M lanata, and M krugi, found in Central and South America, may also be capable of severe stings. 10,32,33 A related species, the white flannel moth (Norape ovina; Fig 12), causes mild stings and is found from Virginia to Missouri and across the southeastern United States. 13,34 In Australia and New Zealand, the gum leaf skeletonizer moth (Uraba lugens; Fig 13) is another member of Limacodidae whose stings cause pain, erythema, and wheal formation (Fig 14).…”

Section: Localized Stingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Caterpillars and moths

Hossler

2010

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology

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Venom of the Megalopyge urens (Berg) Caterpillar

Cited by 17 publications

References 5 publications

Entomo-venomics: The evolution, biology and biochemistry of insect venoms

Entomo-venomics: The evolution, biology and biochemistry of insect venoms

In vitro antitumor, pro-inflammatory, and pro-coagulant activities of Megalopyge opercularis J.E. Smith hemolymph and spine venom

Caterpillars and moths

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