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Venom of the Megalopyge urens (Berg) Caterpillar

Abstract

THE caterpillar of Megalopyge urens (Berg), commonly known as ‘Bicho peludo’ is abundant in southern Uruguay in some years during February and March (Fig. 1). Its sting is feared because of the intense pain experienced by the victims. The black rigid pinking hairs (1 mm long) emerge from the papillae of the caterpillar among longer apatulated and white feathery hairs. There are several reports on the effect of M. urens venom in man and animals1–4. This work is concerned with the enzymatic and immunological properties of the venom and the electrophoretic separation of its different components.

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ARDAO, M., PERDOMO, C. & PELLATON, M. Venom of the Megalopyge urens (Berg) Caterpillar. Nature 209, 1139–1140 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1038/2091139a0

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