Its larvae have an average length of 40 to 45 mm, with black and yellow bodies covered by urticating hairs which, upon contact with skin, produce irritation, causing an extended dermatitis.

The larvae are known in Spanish as gata peluda (hairy cat) or bicho quemador (burning bug).

It possesses a voracious appetite, attacking fruit bearing, ornamental and forest plants.

[3] The eggs are laid in overlapping layers of up to 900, protected by a yellow cocoon built by the female using her secretions and abdominal hairs.

Once the larvae are born, they slither in large groups along tree trunks, branches and leaves, usually causing vast defoliation.