Overview
- University and local authorities report confirmed occurrences across Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Zapopan and Tlaquepaque in the Guadalajara metropolitan area.
- Entomologist Luis Eugenio Rivera Cervantes identifies the insect as the larval stage of Megalopyge opercularis, noting that only the larval form produces the toxin.
- Contact can cause immediate, severe pain with possible nausea, vomiting, fever, tachycardia and peripheral nerve effects, with symptoms lasting hours to days.
- Researchers cited by UNAM and the University of Queensland describe bulb‑based spines that deliver large protein toxins of roughly 29–32 kilodaltons capable of damaging nerve cells.
- CUCSur urges people to avoid direct handling, use protective clothing and tools if removal is necessary, follow tape-and-wash steps after contact and send photographs of sightings to support monitoring instead of broad fumigation.