Papillonite

The papillonite or lepidopterism is a skin trouble caused by the irritant hairs of certain tropical night butterflies. The number of species of butterflies concerned is restricted (Kinds Hylesia in America, Anaphae in Africa), just as the affected geographical areas (Guyanes, Venezuela, Brésil, Argentine, Peru, Gabon, Central Africa).

Guianese Papillonite

The Butterfly of ash ( Hylesia urticans ), person in charge of the Guianese papillonite lives in the wetlands and marshy. They are butterflies night brown-reddish of small size (12 mm of length and 21 mm broad, spread wings) to the globulous and hairy abdomen. The caterpillars develop on the Palétuvier S white Avicennia germinans (Linnaeus) Stearn, tree constituting of the Mangrove S. Seules the females are equipped with these irritant hairs (of tiny poisoned arrows) which have at the origin for function to protect the layings.

After a direct contact, or indirect (being êtant butterfly run up against clothing) which passes generally unperceived, the symptoms begin a few hours and last on average a week. The intensity is very variable of an individual to another: light itchings for some, very intense for others, preventing the sleep. As often in the pruriginous lesions, scraping worsens the symptoms. If symptomatology is often not very evocative, it is the site of the first lesions which makes evoke the diagnosis: part discovered, before arm, folds of the elbow, wrist… The lesions will be spread out secondarily, the darts being disseminated by scraping and sweat.

The treatment rests on the administration of atropine and anticholinergic. The shower and soaping are without effect. Itchings end in any event up ceasing more or less quickly even without treatment.

These butterflies whose cycle of hard reproduction from 3 to 4 months, generates certain years with true pullulations. Attracted by the illumination, they concentrate in urban areas, giving place to cover-fires: the populations are calefeutrent on their premises with fallen the night, extinguish all external lightings, prefer to extend their linen inside and avoid dispersing the irritant hairs by limiting the sweeping of the ground and the drafts.

The risks, the town halls of Guyana will limit until organizing the destruction of the mangroves developing on the shores of the agglomerations.

Among the news items, one will quote a flight of butterflies which fell down in 1941 on a military building in the port of Cayenne and whose totality of the crew had to be hospitalized, or a German boat attacked by a flight of Hylesia in the mouth of the Orénoque made half-turn until Hamburg.

External bonds

Card on Santevoyage-guide.com
Card on guyane.pref.gouv.fr

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