Megalopyge lapena

Schaus, 1896

Megalopyge lapena is a in the Megalopygidae, commonly known as flannel moths. The was described by Schaus in 1896 and is found in Mexico and southern Arizona. As with other members of the Megalopyge, the larval stage possesses venomous urticating spines concealed beneath dense hair-like setae.

Megalopyge lapena by (c) Sue Carnahan, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Sue Carnahan. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Megalopyge lapena: /ˌmɛɡəloʊˈpaɪdʒi ləˈpiːnə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Distribution

Mexico and southern Arizona

Human Relevance

As with other Megalopyge , the caterpillars are presumed to possess venomous urticating spines that can cause painful stings, though specific documentation for M. lapena is lacking. Handling should be avoided.

Similar Taxa

Megalopyge opercularisBoth are North American Megalopyge with venomous caterpillars; M. opercularis (puss caterpillar) occurs in the eastern and southern United States, while M. lapena is restricted to the southwestern United States and Mexico
Megalopyge crispataBoth share the Megalopyge and possess the characteristic dense, hair-like setae concealing urticating spines in the larval stage; M. crispata occurs in eastern North America

More Details

Taxonomic note

Authority sometimes cited as Schaus, 1869 in some databases (e.g., NCBI), but 1896 is the accepted date per original description and Catalogue of Life.

Data limitations

Most biological details for this remain undocumented in published literature. The 65 iNaturalist observations suggest it is encountered infrequently, with limited natural history information available beyond basic distribution records.