{"id":210886,"date":"2025-12-02T06:01:23","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T06:01:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/210886\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T06:01:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T06:01:23","slug":"little-known-benefit-of-backyard-creature-famous-for-causing-instant-burning-pain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/210886\/","title":{"rendered":"Little-known benefit of backyard creature famous for causing ‘instant burning pain’"},"content":{"rendered":"

A backyard creature that\u2019s famous for having spikes laced with over 150 painful venoms<\/a> could have hidden benefits for humans. Scientists from the University of Queensland have sequenced the DNA of the mottled cup moth caterpillar and think its venom could be used in medicine<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Molecular scientist Dr Andrew Walker has been researching the species (doratifera vulnerans)<\/a> for close to a decade, focusing on the potential for its protein-based toxins to kill bacteria and parasites.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are more than 150,000 species of moths and butterflies, and that includes several different groups that have independently evolved venoms with different compositions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the venom molecules have insecticidal properties, so we are looking at them for use as pesticides, while others can activate receptors in the human body, so could potentially be used in medicine to treat epilepsy, stroke, or cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n

What does the caterpillar’s venom feel like?<\/p>\n

Doratifera vulnerans is found in parts of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia. It’s a common species that feeds on the leaves of eucalyptus, melaleuca, guava and apricot.<\/p>\n

Speaking with Yahoo News, Dr Walker revealed he\u2019d been stung close to a dozen times, and he described the pain as similar to that caused by a paper wasp.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an instant burning pain. Unlike a wasp that\u2019s very active, these caterpillars don\u2019t move around much, so sometimes you feel the sting before you see one, so you know there must be one on the plant you\u2019ve been rifling through,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Related:<\/strong> Tourists vow to avoid Australia over ‘dangerous’ detail in photo<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Doratifera<\/p>\n

The caterpillars are known for their painful stings. Source: Jiayi Jin<\/p>\n

New research reveals why toxins developed<\/p>\n

Dr Walker was an author of new research published in the journal PNAS<\/a>, which focused on how the toxins evolved in the caterpillars.<\/p>\n

Because most of the world\u2019s research into venoms has focused on snakes<\/a>, Dr Walker said the team\u2019s research is a \u201csignificant step forward in our knowledge\u201d.<\/p>\n

“They have switched in roles from having a role in the immune system to having roles in defence against predators,” he later told Yahoo.<\/p>\n

What’s incredible about the evolution of these peptides is that they didn’t lose their anti-microbial properties.<\/p>\n

“We expected the ones that adapted into pain-causing peptides would have lost their anti-microbial activity, but we found they had actually gotten stronger activity on some of the very hard to kill microbes \u2014 gram-positive bugs,” he added.<\/p>\n

“So in that sense, we did find some blueprints to make molecules that are great at killing things like golden staph, but in their present form they cause excruciating pain, so they’re not great medicines yet.”<\/p>\n

Love Australia’s weird and wonderful environment? \ud83d\udc0a\ud83e\udd98\ud83d\ude33 Get our <\/strong>new newsletter<\/strong><\/a> showcasing the week\u2019s best stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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