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Phylogeny, envenomation syndrome, and membrane permeabilising venom produced by Australia’s electric caterpillar Comana monomorpha
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Phylogeny, envenomation syndrome, and membrane permeabilising venom produced by Australia’s electric caterpillar Comana monomorpha
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Phylogeny, envenomation syndrome, and membrane permeabilising venom produced by Australia’s electric caterpillar Comana monomorpha
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Journal Article
Phylogeny, envenomation syndrome, and membrane permeabilising venom produced by Australia’s electric caterpillar Comana monomorpha
2024
Overview
Zygaenoidea is a superfamily of lepidopterans containing many venomous species, including the Limacodidae (nettle caterpillars) and Megalopygidae (asp caterpillars). Venom proteomes have been recently documented for several species from each of these families, but further data are required to understand the evolution of venom in Zygaenoidea. In this study, we examined the ‘electric’ caterpillar from North-Eastern Australia, a limacodid caterpillar densely covered in venomous spines. We used DNA barcoding to identify this caterpillar as the larva of the moth
Comana monomorpha
(Turner, 1904). We report the clinical symptoms of
C. monomorpha
envenomation, which include acute pain, and erythema and oedema lasting for more than a week. Combining transcriptomics of venom spines with proteomics of venom harvested from the spine tips revealed a venom markedly different in composition from previously examined limacodid venoms that are rich in peptides. In contrast, the venom of
C. monomorpha
is rich in aerolysin-like proteins similar to those found in venoms of asp caterpillars (Megalopygidae). Consistent with this composition, the venom potently permeabilises sensory neurons and human neuroblastoma cells. This study highlights the diversity of venom composition in Limacodidae.
