Lonomia obliqua

Lonomia obliqua is a species of Saturniid moths 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 several deaths, especially in southern Brazil. Its venom has also been the subject of numerous medical studies. These caterpillars are about 4.5 to 5.5 centimetres 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.