Darna pallivitta (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae) nettle caterpillar

The nettle caterpillar (Darna pallivitta) has a dark stripe down its back and grows to about one inch in length. It also has light-colored venomous spines and hairs.  Darna pallivitta caterpillars have been found feeding on over 45 species of plants in 22 families. The caterpillar may cause painful stings and may cause allergic reactions in those who are sensitive to the venom. Residents in infested areas should consider wearing protective clothing, such as long pants and shirts, gloves, shoes and protective wear for the face and eyes while working in the yard.  Specimens of the stinging nettle caterpillar (Darna pallivitta) were first found infesting rhapis palm at a nursery in Panaewa on the Big Island in September 2001.  Taxon description: (HDOA: http://www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa/newsrelease/05-19.htm, updated 08SEP2005, accessed 22SEP2005); Is it a problem and why: (stings: HDOA: http://www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa/newsrelease/05-19.htm, updated 08SEP2005, accessed 22SEP2005; plant damage: HDOA: http://www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa/npa/npa01-03-netcat.pdf, updated "July 2005," accessed 22SEP2005; residents in infested areas...: HDOA: http://www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa/newsrelease/05-19.htm, updated 08SEP2005, accessed 22SEP2005); how/when did it get to Hawaii: (HDOA: http://www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa/npa/npa01-03-netcat.pdf, updated "July 2005," accessed 22SEP2005); Native to where: "occurs in Southeast Asia" (per HDOA: http://www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa/newsrelease/05-19.htm, news release dated 08SEP2005, accessed 22SEP2005) 

Species description or overview

Stinging caterpillar [Darna pallivitta] "new pest advisory" from HDOA 
Stinging caterpillar [Darna pallivitta] is reported in this "new pest advisory" from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA).

New Pest Advisory Group (NPAG) report on nettle caterpillar in Hawaii 
Nettle caterpillar biology, host range, distribution, and impacts are in this report from USDA APHIS Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory, Center for Plant Health Science & Technology (2006).

Darna pallivitta (information from "The Moths of Borneo" website)
Information about Darna pallivitta is presented, including diagnosis, taxonomic notes, geographical range, biology, and host plants.

Identification

Taxonomy & nomenclature

Pest alerts

Stinging nettle caterpillar pest alert (Hawaii) from CTAHR 
Stinging nettle caterpillar (Darna pallivitta) information--including identification, life cycle, host plant, and control method details--is provided in this pest alert from the Cooperative Extension Service (CTAHR/University of Hawaii).

Stinging caterpillar [Darna pallivitta] "new pest advisory" from HDOA 
Stinging caterpillar [Darna pallivitta] is reported in this "new pest advisory" from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA).

Impacts

Control methods

Nettle caterpillar Darna pallivitta (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae)-potential biological control agents
Potential biological controls for nettle caterpillar Darna pallivitta in Hawaii are reviewed in this absract of a presentation made to the Entomological Society of America in December, 2005.

Identifying sex pheromone components of the nettle caterpillar, Darna pallivitta to facilitate monitoring and pheromone disruption control (2005 annual report)
Nettle caterpillar pheromone research on abdominal tip extracts reveal two active compounds produced by female D. pallivitta which stimulate male moths (USDA).

Sex pheromone component of the nettle caterpillar, Darna pallivitta
The nettle moth pheromone identified will allow rapid detection of this irritant-causing/economically-important invasive pest, and also may provide the basis for control options such as pheromone mating disruption.

Nettle caterpillar biocontrol - 2006 report
A parasitic wasp is being tested as potential biocontrol for the nettle caterpillar, according to this report from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.

Biocontrol efforts

The Environmental Notice, State of Hawaii, 4/23/2008 
Notices of proposals to release biocontrol agents for invasive pests appear in Hawaii's Office of Environmental Quality Control bulletin pursuant to Section 343-3 Hawaii Revised Statutes.

Legislation/regulation

Distribution

2006 Annual Report for Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) Plant Pest Control Branch 
New insect introductions and projects involving invasive species are reviewed in Appendix IV of the 2006 HDOA annual report.

Stinging nettle caterpillar found on Maui
Darna pallivitta, the stinging nettle caterpillar, was found in Haiku, Maui. An overview of the caterpillar invasion in Hawaii is in this news release from the Hawaii DOA (7/13/2007).

Nettle caterpillar (Darna pallivitta) overview from the Hawaii Invasive Species Council (HISC)
Nettle caterpillar's description, impacts, images, and distribution in Hawaii are from HISC's high-profile invasive pests site.

Stinging caterpillars turn up on Oahu (KITV News, 7 June 2007)
The stinging nettle caterpillar was found on raphis palms at a central Oahu nursery after workers were stung.

In the news

Wasp could take sting out of caterpillar, 15 June 2008
The state hopes to release a parasitic wasp, Aroplectrus dimerus to attack and kill the nettle caterpillar larvae.

Bugs readied for eco-battle
The erythrina gall wasp, nettle caterpillar, and Madagascar fireweed are Hawaii pests that may be combatted by biocontrol agents if Hawaii receives federal approval for their release (Honolulu Advertiser, 5/11/2008).

Kauai cracking down on invasive pests
The fire ant and stinging nettle caterpillar are targets of an island-wide survey of every garden store, plant nursery and refuse station on the island of Kauai (10/2007).

Caterpillar pest earns name with way it hurts humans as well as plants 
Nettle caterpillar is the topic of the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) Kiai Moku Maui News column (10/14/2007).

Spiky caterpillar spreads in Haiku, 24 September 2007
The nettle caterpillar has expanded in its range in the Haiku area of Maui, and experts have found it is feeding on guinea grass, making all Maui pastures vulnerable to the pest.

Stinging nettle caterpillar found on Maui
Darna pallivitta, the stinging nettle caterpillar, was found in Haiku, Maui. An overview of the caterpillar invasion in Hawaii is in this news release from the Hawaii DOA (7/13/2007).

Stinging caterpillars strike at nursery (Honolulu Star Bulletin, 17 June 2007)
Stinging nettle caterpillars were found in a Central Oahu nursery, where workers reported getting stung. Plant material from the Big Island is the suspected source of the infestation. Bait stations and other control measures are being implemented.

Invasive stinging caterpillar found on Oahu
Honolulu Advertiser (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/)

Stinging caterpillars turn up on Oahu (KITV News, 7 June 2007)
The stinging nettle caterpillar was found on raphis palms at a central Oahu nursery after workers were stung.

Stinging caterpillar [Darna pallivitta] expanding its range on the Big Island
"Reports of stinging incidents from the nettle caterpillar are increasing on the east side of the Big Island as infestations of the caterpillar expand," says this 08 September 2005 news release from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA).

Some documents posted on the HEAR website are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. If your computer is not already set up to read these files, you can download the FREE Adobe Acrobat reader. You can set up most web browsers to automatically invoke this reader (as a "helper application" or "add-in") upon encountering documents of this type (refer to your browser's documentation for how to do this).

The Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk (HEAR) project is currently funded by the Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN) of the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) through PIERC (USGS) with support from HCSU (UH-Hilo). More details are available online.

The content of this page is based on information last generated on 03 November 2009 by PT. The template for this page was created on 15 March 2004 by EMS, and was last updated on 20 February 2006 by PT.