Lepidoptera (Insecta) of medical relevance of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Abstract

Fourteen families of Lepidoptera are considered of medical relevance, with six of them recorded in Brazil. However, basic information on medically relevant Lepidoptera in Brazil is limited, with most studies focused on the southern region. This study presents the first comprehensive list of Lepidoptera of medical relevance for the state of Rio de Janeiro based on data from literature, iNaturalist, and the Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna. Based exclusively on literature, 161 species of Lepidoptera of medical relevance have been recorded in southern and southeastern Brazil, with 90 species found in Rio de Janeiro. By incorporating additional sources, the list expands to 325 species, 268 of which are found in Rio de Janeiro. These are distributed across Saturniidae (20 genera / 98 species), Lasiocampidae (6 / 98), Megalopygidae (5 / 38), Limacodidae (8 / 25), Erebidae (1 / 8), and Aididae (1 / 1). The study also discusses records from the Notifiable Diseases Information System, clinical terminologies related to Lepidoptera, and the importance of citizen science platforms in expanding scientific knowledge. Additionally, the taxonomic challenges in identifying these insects are highlighted.