Article available at http://www.parasite-journal.org or http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2012192117 THE MOTH HYLESIA METABUS AND FRENCH GUIANA LEPIDOPTERISM: CENTENARY OF A PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN JOURDAIN F.*, GIROD R.*,**, VASSAL J.M.***, CHANDRE F.*,****, LAGNEAU C.*,*****, FOUQUE F.*,******, GUIRAL D.*******, RAUDE J.*,******** & ROBERT V*,**** Summary: Résumé : HYLESIA METABUS ET PAPILLONITE GUYANAISE : CENTENAIRE D’UNE QUESTION DE SANTÉ PUBLIQUE The females of the moths Hylesia metabus have their abdomens covered by urticating hairs looking like micro-arrows and causing a L’abdomen des femelles du papillon de nuit Hylesia metabus est puriginous dermatitis to humans known as “papillonite” in French recouvert de micro-fléchettes venimeuses qui déclenchent chez Guiana and also called yellowtail moth dermatitis or Caripito l’homme une dermatite urticarienne prurigineuse, dénommée itch. The densities of the moths show great seasonal and annual “papillonite” en Guyane. Les densités de population de cette espèce variations depending on mechanisms mostly unknown. When sont extrêmement variables, sous la dépendance de mécanismes H. metabus infestations occur, numerous cases of dermatologic qui restent mal connus. Lors des pullulations, de nombreux cas manifestations are reported from people living near the mangrove de dermatites sont observés au sein des populations humaines swamps where the moths are developing. One hundred years vivant à proximité de la mangrove où se développent les chenilles after the first “papillonite” epidemic reported from French Guiana et d’où émergent les papillons. Cet article dresse un état des in 1912, the data presented herein summarize the actual state connaissances, un siècle après la première épidémie de papillonite of knowledge on H. metabus biology and ecology and on the connue, observée en Guyane en 1912. La biologie et l’écologie du lepidopterism. Some recommendations are proposed for the papillon sont présentées, ainsi que les aspects dermatologiques. surveillance and warning systems of H. metabus infestations and La surveillance et l’alerte concernant les pullulations font l’objet to avoid contact with the moths. Research priorities are suggested de recommandations. Enfin, des pistes de recherche sont avancées to improve the control against this problem emerging between pour améliorer les stratégies et méthodes de lutte utilisables contre nuisance and public health. ce papillon. KEY WORDS: review, Hylesia metabus, French Guiana, lepidopterism, MOTS-CLÉS : revue, Hylesia metabus, papillon cendre, Guyane française, yellowtail moth dermatitis, nuisance, Lepidoptera, mangrove swamp, papillonite, nuisance, Lepidoptera, mangrove, pullulation, dermatite, infestation, dermite, urticariad. urticaire. The first clinical description of the urticarial dermatitis INTRODUCTION caused by Hylesia metabus (Cramer, 1775) was also made in French Guiana (Léger & Mouzels, 1918). One he first epidemic of Caripito itch was reported hundred years after these first reports, the epidemics from French Guiana in 1912 (Boyé, 1932), of dermatitis caused by H. metabus are still recurrent Tbased on observations of the physicians Devez in French Guiana. In 2011, an H. metabus infestation and Henry describing the simultaneous occurrence of started in June in the small towns of Sinnamary and dermatitis human cases and “bad moths” infestations. Iracoubo (French Guiana) and created a strong nui- sance with dermatitis problem to their inhabitants and visitors. This episode was estimated exceptional for its * Centre National d’Expertise sur les Vecteurs, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France. duration and intensity and was followed by a mobi- ** Institut Pasteur de Guyane, BP 6010, 97306 Cayenne, France. lization of the population requesting the immediate *** CIRAD, Campus international de Baillarguet, 34398 Montpellier implementation of control measures. Consequently, Cedex, France. the “Direction Générale de la Santé” at the French **** Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, MIVEGEC, UMR IRD 224 – CNRS 5290 – UM1 – UM2, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier Ministry of Health commissioned an advice to the Cedex 5, France. newly created “Centre National d’Expertise sur les ***** EID Méditerranée, 165, avenue Paul Rimbaud, 34184 Montpellier Vecteurs”. This advice (CNEV, 2011) was based on Cedex 4, France. the knowledge acquired on H. metabus during this ****** Institut Pasteur de la Guadeloupe, Laboratoire d’Entomologie médicale, BP 484, Morne Jolivière, 97183 Les Abymes Cedex, France. expertise by a working group, with special emphasis ******* IMEP UMR Université P. Cézanne CNRS IRD, Faculté des on the surveillance and control tools. This advice sciences de Saint-Jérôme, Boîte 441, 13397 Marseille Cedex 20, France. pointed out the lack of scientific data on H. metabus ******** EHESP, Avenue du Pr Léon Bernard, 35043 Rennes, France. bionomics and on the infestation driving variables. Correspondence: Frédéric Jourdain. Tel. : 33 (0)4 67 41 62 49. Both should be deeply investigated to better control E-mail: [email protected] this problem. Parasite, 2012, 19, 117-128 Review 117 JOURDAIN F., GIROD R., VASSAL J.M. ET AL. LEPIDOPTERISM because two other species had been recently observed in French Guiana: Hylesia moronensis Lemaire 1976 and Hylesia humilis Dogin 1923 (F. Bénéluz, pers. ost of the Lepidoptera species, either as com.). Hylesia metabus belongs to the Family Satur- caterpillars or adults are considered of little niidae (= Attacidae) and Sub-Family Hemileucinae. medical importance because they are not vec- M Hylesia urticans is synonymous of Hylesia metabus. tors of pathogens for humans and animals and not res- ponsible of nuisance. Consequently this group is the This moth is commonly called “palometa peluda” in matter of few studies in the area of medical or veteri- Venezuela. Sexual dimorphism is observed among the nary entomology. However, among this large group of adults, with females being bigger with short stub-like insects, a few of them can cause severe clinical mani- antennae and a voluminous abdomen covered by urti- festations, mostly dermatologic injuries, known as lepi- cating micro-arrow setae. Males are smaller with long dopterism. The venomous Lepidoptera are classified dendritic antennae and no-urticating setae. into two groups, the phanerotoxic and the cryptotoxic species according to the presence or absence respecti- vely of an external apparatus (hairs, setae) producing URTICATING APPARATUS OF H. METABUS the toxic substance (Vassal, 1989; Diaz, 2005). The cryptotoxic species are harmful only through ingestion. isseuil (1935) made the first identification of the In France, most of the dermatologic manifestations females of H. metabus as the causing agents due to Lepidoptera are caused by caterpillars such Tof the “papillonite” dermatitis. He observed as the processionary pine caterpillars (Thaumetopoea that a skin contact with the H. metabus caterpillars pityocampa). However, contact with adults can also was followed by an urticarial dermatologic manifesta- result in urticant or vesicant clinical manifestations. tion, in red patch, localized at the contact point. The For other species such as H. metabus, both caterpillars same contact with a male moth was followed by a and adults are dangerous for humans. According to similar reaction that persisted for a few hours. The the stage of the insect, caterpillar or adult, the der- skin reactions with the H. metabus caterpillars and matitis is called erucism or lepidopterism respectively. males were in all cases less harmful compared with Cases of lepidopterism are reported worldwide, in the dermatologic manifestations due to contacts with Africa due to the moths Anaphe sp., in Asia with the females. Euproctis sp., in Australia with the Zygaenidae family The urticant apparatus of the H. metabus female is and also in Europe as described above (Lamy & constituted by micro-arrow setae or spines covering Werno, 1989; Hossler, 2010; Battisti et al., 2011). But, the abdomen (Lamy & Lemaire, 1983). The primary the most severe manifestations are observed in South- function of the urticant setae is to cover the batch of and Central-America, all caused by species of the eggs and protect the nest from predators. These setae genus Hylesia (Fornés & Hernández, 2000; Lemaire, are produced by differentiated cells (called trichogene 2002; Willat et al., 2003; Iserhard et al., 2007). In and tormogene cells), forming a monocell hypoderm French Guiana, lepidopterism epidemics are caused by similar to the hypoderm producing the scales. These the species H. metabus, also called “papillon cendre” setae can thus be assimilated to transformed scales i.e. ashen moth or “yellowtail moth”, respectively (Novak et al., 1987; Pelissou & Lamy, 1988) or true due to the urticant micro-arrow setae (“ashes”) that setae (Battisti et al., 2011). Rodriguez et al. (2004) are thrown away when flying and to the colour of described four types of abdominal setae for the H. the abdomen. This phanerotoxic Lepidoptera is res- metabus female, among which two are urticant. The ponsible of the lepidopterism called “yellowtail moth setae S1 and S2, 2,000 and 155 μm long respectively, dermatitis”. This affection is known as “papillonite” in and on dorsal position, are not urticant. The setae French Guiana (Tisseuil, 1935) and “Caripito itch” in S1, S3 and S4 are found on ventral position. The S3 Venezuela from the port town of Caripito providing in setae, 190 μm long and 8 μm wide are straight